From flowers to fruits

Thursday April 8, 2021

From flowers to fruits

The righteous grow like the palm tree, they grow like the cedar Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they prosper in the courts of our God ; they bear even more fruit in old age. Psalm 92:12-14

In the book of Psalms, the righteous represent those who have the life of God, in contrast to the wicked who oppose him. The comparison of the righteous with a tree is often found in the Bible. This image helps to understand the secret of the believer's spiritual growth.

In a desert country, the traveler is struck, at the sight of an oasis, by the presence of palm trees. They stand straight up, they provide a little shade, which allows the plots of land to be cultivated out of the sun. Their presence shows that the water is nearby, even if it is not visible. On the slopes of Lebanon, the cedars impress with the majesty of their port and their resistance to bad weather.

Those that are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish. The house of the Lord represents the presence of God. To be planted there means to have a habitual relationship with the Lord, by speaking to him, by listening to him speak, by trusting him. As water is the source of life on earth, Jesus is life, he gives it and sustains it. Reading the Word daily is the way to draw life, strength, and take root in it. Flowers can then bloom. A flowering tree is beautiful, as is the young believer whose life shows genuine dedication to the Lord Jesus. After having flowered, it bears its first fruits, pleasing to God, good for men.

Daniel is an example of one who flowered early and bore fruit still in his white old age. It has remained full of sap and green (v. 14). His secret: a life of prayer, of listening to the Word of God and of faith, preceded by the decision, taken young, not to accept compromise with the evil in his life.

To bear fruit, let's start each day with prayer, and read the Word of God with a desire to put it into practice.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)