“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 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.” —Jeremiah 17:7-8

If you’re alive, troubles will come. If you’ve been alive long, you’ve seen a lot of troubles. Some are our own doing and some are simply a part of life and may be completely unrelated to anything you or I have done. How you or I prepare for and respond to those troubles, though, can make all the difference in the world.

Do you just float along and deal with troubles as they come?

Do you dread troubles, fearing them, as a howling storm headed your way?

Or do you understand that troubles, like the setting sun, will come? If so, you prepare yourself properly: building your character; developing relationships; drawing close to God; cultivating that one-on-one time with the One who sustains everything by His very Word.

If you do prepare for life’s storms, you will be like majestic hardwood trees that stand strong and erect, driving their roots deep into the soil, finding the water far below. It’s a known fact that as the wind blows against a tree, the tree responds by driving its roots deeper into the soil.

Because of their years of preparation, these trees can and will withstand the storms that will undoubtedly come their way — winds, rain, storms, lightning. Sure, they may bend during their times of trouble. They may sway. They may even lose branches. But if they are tied into the very foundation that enables their strength, they will stand to see another sunny day and grow even stronger from these storms, preparing them for the next trials that will certainly come.

Are you and I going deep in our relationship with God? Do we seek the “living water” that God offers through His Son, Jesus Christ? Are we tied into Him daily? Do we drink the nutrition that only He can give us that will strengthen us like only God can do?

When we do this, we will be prepared to not only withstand the trials that come our way but we will thrive in the midst of life’s storms. And as we do so, we will not only grow stronger for the next storm but we will also be an encouragement to those around us who may not be preparing as they ought.

Go deep. Grow strong. Don’t fear. Drink Him in. God is your hope and confidence.