“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no
wickedness in him.’”
Psalm 92:12-15
According to notes in my Study Bible, palm trees are known for their long life and cedars of Lebanon grow very tall and large in circumference. The psalmist seems to be saying the righteous will be solid, strong, and immovable!
The psalmist’s use of the word flourish caught my attention. It’s a word I don’t use often, but it has a positive, uplifting sound when spoken, does it not? Flourish! The dictionary defines the word – “to grow luxuriantly, thrive, to achieve success, prosper, etc.” Who doesn’t want that kind of life? During this past year and half, I have not felt I was flourishing. I should have posted those verses on my fridge and read them frequently. Those words may have helped me to flourish rather than flounder.
I like the next part of the psalm about old age. Even in old age the righteous will still bear fruit and stay fresh and green. Now that I’m in the upper half of 70s those words make my heart smile. I work a couple hours in my garden pulling weeds and my body is anything but fresh and green! But my spirit continues to be. God is helping me find ways to flourish more often than flounder. His Word encourages my spirit and, when I listen, it motivates me to keep going even when the going is hard.
The large rock (in the picture above) was dug out of the ground during the excavation for building our house. It isn’t going anywhere and it’s too heavy for me to move. God isn’t going away and He is definitely immoveable. We asked the excavators to place it near the house and it’s a constant reminder that God is my Rock. Surrendering to the Master Gardner, He plants us where we can flourish. It is only through the strength of the Rock the righteous can grow and bear fruit.
“It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp” (Psalm 92:1-3).
Many thanks for this post. I love the word “flourish.” You are right about its positive strength.
Blessings.