12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.—Psalm 92:12-15
All of God’s promises to us are pretty incredible and all of them find their fulfillment in Christ. These verses from Psalm 92 this morning got me thinking of who I don’t want to be as I age. I don’t want to be a cynic. I don’t want to be a doubter. I want to believe God for every promise. I want to be a proclaimer of the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. I want to be as the man spoken of in Jeremiah 17:8:
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Or like in Psalm 52:8-9
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
9 I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it is good.
Or as in Hosea 14:5-7
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
He shall grow like the lily,
And lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
6 His branches shall spread;
His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And his fragrance like Lebanon.
7 Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
And grow like a vine.
Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Beloved…Don’t be like the grass which is here today and gone tomorrow. Be like the green olive tree spoken of in Psalm 52. Flourish like a palm tree and grow strong and tall and majestic like a cedar. Stay close to Jesus. Abide in Him. Root and ground in His love. A tree planted in the courts of our God will thrive. The person who trust in the mercy of God will be productive and secure. Their leaf will not wither and whatever they do will prosper.
Praying this morning that despite my circumstances, by His Spirit, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. I will live each and everyday seeing His lovingkindness before my eyes and be thankful. I will remember that His goodness toward me endures continually. As I draw nearer to the time of my departure from this earth may my faith be strengthened and “my” light shine brighter so that His hand of glory becomes increasingly evident in my life. I will walk through the shadow of death remembering that for me it is truly just a shadow. The best is yet to come. Heaven awaits. Surely, goodness and mercy will follow (literally hunt me down…they are impossible to outrun) all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Do this work in me Father!
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.—Philippians 1:9-11
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.—Habakkuk 3:17-19
But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.—Psalm 5:11-12
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.—Psalm 63-3-5
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us,
And we are glad.
Bring back our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.—Psalm 126:2-6
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."—Isaiah 61:3
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.—Isaiah 61:10
Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name,
O LORD God of hosts.—Jeremiah 15:16
You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.—Psalm 4:7
