Just like a tree that's planted by the water ...

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.

(Jeremiah 17:7-8)

When I read this I thought that trees that I have seen planted by water suffer the erosion of the soil so that their roots are partially showing and that are growing out of the banks of a river at an angle. It looks rough! And yet they are thriving! To me that thought adds meaning to these verses. In the roughness of life, God's presence aids us by helping us effectively deal with anxious moments with an inner peace with growth.

I cannot help but think of the hymn ...

Trees that planted by the water, LORD, I shall not be moved.

I shall not be, I shall not be moved;

I shall not be, I shall not he moved.

Just like a tree that's planted by the water, LORD, I shall not be moved.