I live in the desert. My yard is composed of rocks. So you can imagine how refreshing it is to travel someplace where green is the dominant color. Between Israel and Texas my spring has been filled with the reminder of the dramatic effects of water.

Rain = growth and greenery.

No rain = brown and dead.

Last summer I flew into Austin, Texas several times for speaking opportunities. Texas was in a severe drought last summer and it was so sad to watch the scenery transform from lush fields to dead wastelands over a few months.

But there was always one green spot in the last few moments before I landed: Town Lake. The trees planted near the gathering waters were green and flourishing every time.

Roll your eyes with my simple earth science lesson, but hear me out. The trees with roots connected to the water source survived the worst drought in recent history.

Jeremiah uses this same imagery to talk about where we place our confidence. Read with me:

This is what the LORD says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, 
   who depends on flesh for his strength 
   and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 
He will be like a bush in the wastelands; 
   he will not see prosperity when it comes. 
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, 
   in a salt land where no one lives.

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, 
   whose confidence is in him. 
He will be like a tree planted by the water 
   that sends out its roots by the stream. 
It does not fear when heat comes; 
   its leaves are always green. 
It has no worries in a year of drought 
   and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8, NIV

I’m no scientist (in fact, I almost failed high school chemistry) but I do understand why water makes things green and why deep roots are key to survival.

Jeremiah is telling us that trusting in our own selves, boosting up our self-confidence, and even relying on the favor of others is like a tumbleweed in the middle of West Texas: it has no root system and no water source.

But he also says that if we take our selves, our hearts, and our confidence and place them in the Lord, that action will create a thing of beauty! If you’re like me, this will require daily reminders – if not minute by minute!

Want to stay green? Plant yourself by the water of God’s presence. Get in His WORD. Dig roots that are deep in the Lord. He is the source of a new and lasting form of confidence. How will we make it through periods of drought in this life? We must continue to know HIM more and more.

Drinking in His Word,
Ginger