On Being Drought Tolerant

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
and whose hope is in the Lord
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters
Which spreads out it roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes
But its leaf will be green
And will not anxious in the year of drought
Nor will cease from yielding fruit
Jeremiah 17:7-8


To successfully landscape in a desert region, it pays to know what plants are drought tolerant/resistant. In essence, what will thrive even when there's little or no water.

One of my favorites that I have growing in my garden is lavender. This hardy, bushy plant has a pleasant fragrance, and is good for medicinal and cooking uses. Because it's located in an area of the yard that doesn't get visited regularly, it has at times been subject to neglect, yet it keeps thriving.

The scripture above from Jeremiah describes a drought-tolerant person. This is a person who is not anxious when times are tough, and in addition, continues to have fruitfulness in their life, even when going through hard, dry times.

What is the key? Their hope is in the Lord, and not in the circumstances around them. They trust in the Lord. That trust in the Lord makes you like a tree planted by the river with roots being perpetually replenished with fresh waters. So no matter how much heat is on, your 'leaf will be green.' Not dried up, not withered away, not dead. Green, growing, and producing.

Trust in the Lord. Put hope in the Lord.

To be able to trust in the Lord, just as with any other person, you must know Him to be trustworthy. And you know Him to be trustworthy, first, by knowing Him through His word.
To be a person who is able to be steadfast in the midst of adverse circumstances, you must be intimately acquainted with God's word, and put your faith in what He says.

Psalm 1 also speaks of being like a tree planted by rivers of waters:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful
But his delight is in the law of the Lord
And in His law he meditates day and night
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters
That brings forth its fruit in its season
Whose leaf also shall not wither
And whatsoever he does shall prosper (Vs 1-3)

So, one of the keys to being a drought-tolerant person is to trust God, which is learned by spending time with Him, daily, reading His word. But it's not just the reading...we must meditate on it. We'll talk about that tomorrow.