“If you only drink when you’re thirsty, you’ll be chronically dehydrated.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 17, 2026
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They 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 17:7-8, NIV
I recently set a goal to dramatically increase the amount of water I drink each day. I used to start my day with a couple of cups of coffee, then realize around noon that I was desperately thirsty, having forgotten to drink any water all morning. Now, I’ve told myself I can’t have my coffee until I first drink 32 oz. of water to start the day. Sometimes this new habit comes easily, but other days I find it annoying to have to down the water just to get to what I really want: a piping hot cup of joy and delight!
This simple practice has reminded me of a physical truth, yet one that is also tied to our lives with Christ. If you only drink when you’re thirsty, you’ll be chronically dehydrated. Our bodies are made to function with a consistent and steady inflow of water, bringing life to every part of our being and sustaining us throughout our days. Similarly, if we cultivate our life with God only in times of need, desperation, or perceived crisis, we will live a chronically malnourished spiritual life.
Jeremiah 17 famously reminds us that a blessed life is a life that trusts in the Lord and finds its confidence in Him. Notice how he compares this life of trust in the Lord to a tree planted by a stream of water. A tree planted by the stream is connected to a steady and consistent source of life. Its proximity to the river is the reason it has no fear in times of heat or drought. It can be surrounded by troubled times yet continue to do exactly what it was designed to do: bear fruit.
The same is true for you and for me. When we lay our roots deep in the riverbanks of God’s love, we connect to an ongoing life source that helps us navigate whatever comes our way in this life. No heat, no drought, no sickness, no fear, no sorrow, no hurt, no betrayal…Nothing can keep us from continuing to bear fruit and encounter the goodness and the love of God daily.
Drink deep from the water of life, morning, midday, and night, and you will never run dry!
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14, NIV).
Prayer
Father, we long for a life of abiding communion with you, where we live like trees planted alongside the riverbanks of your love, receiving daily nourishment that sustains us through every season and every storm. By your grace, give us the strength to lay deep roots and to never leave that place; we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
What does it look like for you to be planted by the water in this season of life?
Related Reading
Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 63:1; Isaiah 58:11
Worship Resource
Brooke Ligertwood, Victory Boyd: The Water
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