Flourishing

Do you hope to live a long time with your latter years being productive and engaging? If so, Psalm 92:12-14 is for you.

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 bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.

As I read this Psalm, I was struck by that last sentence. I don't believe anyone wants to die early. That means living to an old age. But I also don't believe anyone wants to be dull and unproductive in those later years. This Psalm helps us see how we can be fruitful, fresh, and flourishing our entire life.

The verses above point to being planted in the house of the Lord, flourishing in the courts of God. Spending time weekly with other believers, praising God, studying Scripture, and fellowshipping with other believers helps our roots go deeper, providing more stability in our lives. When our roots are deep, we flourish.

We see this theme repeated in Psalm 1:1-3. 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 rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

The more we mediate on God's Word, both in church and in our own Bible study time, we strengthen our foundation. As those roots do deep, the security Scripture provides nourishes, protects, and directs us while keeping us fresh and engaging. The Word produces fruit.

Notice the rivers of water in Psalm 1. Rivers provide refreshing water. There are no stagnant pools here. With that refreshing water (God's Word), we too can be fresh - not dull or unfruitful.

Whether young, middle aged, or older, we should desire to be fresh, flourishing and engaging in how we conduct ourselves and how we treat others. The best way to be that kind of person is to diligently study God's Word and attend a Bible-believing church.

Will you join me in asking God to show us where we can improve in deepening our roots to bear His fruit? Pray that we can be fresh and flourishing in our lives each and every day.