Vitality

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him”—Psalm 92:12-15.

Growing up in the Midwest does not give one an appreciation for palm trees. I remember the first time that I celebrated Christmas in Florida with my in-laws. As we were decorating their house and yard, I was given the responsibility of putting Christmas lights on the family palm trees. It seemed completely wrong to me to be putting Christmas lights on palm trees, after all, was not the evergreen the real genuine Christmas tree? It completely violated all of the Christmas carols I grew up singing and I almost felt like I was sinning! It was not until my wife informed me that palm trees were more biblical. Needless to say, I responded with great incredulity, until I realized that Jesus grew up in a desert region and had many more palm trees than evergreens!

The palm tree flourishes throughout the Middle East. After traveling in Israel and Egypt, I can accurately say that there is a thriving palm tree population. Throughout the Scriptures, palm trees represent blessing, vitality, life, peace, and freedom. When Solomon constructed the Jewish Temple, palm trees were carved into the doors (1 Kings 6:29, 32, 35; 7:36). And in the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel is given a vision of the New Temple that God would build during the last days, where there would be palm trees throughout (Ezekiel 40:16, 22, 26, 31, 34, 37; 41:18, 20, 25, 26). And, when Jesus was entering Jerusalem on the week of Passover in His triumphal entry, the people welcomed Him with palm branches (John 12:13).

In our passage for today, the Psalmist declares that the “righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (v. 12). This verse must be seen as it connects to the next, “They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.” It is a picture of being in God’s temple or His presence, just as the palm trees were carved in the doors of the Temple.

A certain type of climate must be reached in order for a palm tree to flourish, and the same is true for us. The best environment for the Christian to flourish is in the presence of God. When a Christian continually cultivates his or her relationship with God they will flourish, despite circumstances. When we fail to cultivate our relationship with the Lord, a distance starts to occur. It would be as if we were taking a palm tree away from its natural habitat, and planting in a colder harsher climate where it would shrivel and die. It would not survive if it were taken from its source. We can only survive by continually cultivating our relationship with Him. The follower of Christ who daily pursues Him will be nourished, sustained, and protected by the Lord. And this next verse is one of my favorites,  

“They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him” (v. 14-15).

There is no retirement plan for the Christian, at least not as the world knows retirement. There is no retirement from discipleship. We are to be lifelong disciples, following the Lord until He comes or He us home. Cultivating our relationship with the Lord is not just for our benefit. It has a point,  

“to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” 

God desires us to seek Him in order that He might be made known throughout the world. In other words, He desires us to delight in Him so much that through our lives, the magnificence of who He is, is put on display through us so much that the world takes notice. How about you? Are you flourishing or floundering? When those in the world look at you, do they see Christ? Are they able to see the magnificence of the Savior who saved you and gave His life for you?