As we get closer to the Lord’s return, scripture says that the world will “wax worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13). We hear about crazy things on the news every day. But we don’t have to be moved by them. You may wonder how that is even possible. The answer is found in the Old Testament.

JEREMIAH 17:7–8 (NLT)

7 But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

I want to focus on the phrase “have made” in verse 7. It means that we have a choice. We decide who we look to. We don’t have to put our hope in God. Some people choose to trust in things that aren’t stable, things that are like quicksand.

But when our trust is in God, we become like a tree “planted along a riverbank.”

I’m a bit of an English nerd and like to dissect words and look up definitions. I found the phrase “trees planted along a riverbank” interesting. Trees are everywhere. They’re alongside roads, in yards, and in forests. But verse 8 specifically talks about trees along a riverbank.

What is so special about trees by a river? As I began my research, I learned that these trees are a stabilizing force. They reduce erosion and block debris and sediment from getting into the river. Trees also recharge the aquifer, which is an underground layer of water-bearing rock. You could say these trees have a specific purpose. It’s more than making the river’s edge look pretty.

Verse 8 goes on to say that heat and drought don’t bother the trees by a river. That’s because their root system goes deep, deep down. It doesn’t matter what’s happening above ground and how little it rains. These trees have a constant supply of water, so their roots are constantly being watered.