Planted and flourishing

Psa 92:12-15 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (emphasis added).

These verses are brim full of promises for those who are planted in the house of the Lord.  The Hebrew word for ‘flourish’ means to blossom, send forth shoots and blossom.  The picture painted by these words in verse 12 could perhaps not be clearer.  The cedar of Lebanon is a tree which has been revered throughout the ages for its natural lustre and distinctive long-lasting fragrance.  It is one of the pine family. A robust tree that grows well in areas of low rainfall and rugged conditions. It produces a tap root some 2-3m long and as such draws its moisture from deep down even if the soil at ground level is quite dry.

Those who walk in the ways of the Lord (the righteous) are promised this type of safety and productivity.  Moses died at 120 years of age and the Bible says “…yet his eyes were not weak, nor his strength gone”(Deut 34:7).  Caleb said give me Hebron (his inheritance) at 85 which is a rocky and desolate place not for the fainthearted.

Constantly shifting plants from bed to bed stunts their growth and they never form strong roots from which to draw the nourishment required to produce fruit be it flowers or edible foods.  The house of the Lord is the body of Christ with Jesus as the head.  It was His design and He promised the gates of hell won’t prevail against it (Matt 16:18).

We enjoy longevity in the west (relatively speaking) and having just returned from Uganda where the average life expectancy of a male has just been lifted to 42, we are grateful for the access we have to the benefits of advanced medical care, access to clean water, better hygiene and living conditions.

Come what may, when the storms of life blow, the righteous are afforded the protection of Almighty God. 

I am so encouraged by the promise in v14 where it says we will still bear fruit in old age and stay fresh and green.  In a rapidly changing world this brings great security to God’s people.  Nowhere in Scripture does it say we have a ‘use by’ date after which we are destined to the scrap heap of life waiting for Jesus to return or to bide our time until He calls us home. 

At time of writing the oldest person on our Healing Rooms team is in her 97th year and still going strong!

I believe God’s plan for us is to live a full and productive life and we can be fruitful in every phase of life.  However, it is a result of being planted in the house of the Lord. He longs for intimate relationship not a casual acquaintance.

Are you planted in the house of the Lord?