THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL FLOURISH – PART II
From The HeartPublish date: 02/12/2012
The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. 15 [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Psalms 92:12-15 AMP
According to Psalm 92, the uncompromisingly righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, grow like the cedars of Lebanon and flourish in the courts of our God. Even though they grow older, they are still growing – growing in grace – and still bringing forth fruit in old age. Some people say, “You are only as old as you feel!” And this is true, because your heart attitude greatly influences your mental outlook, your body, your choices and your outcome. Whether you are positive or negative, the longer you age the more your thought life affects your mind, your body, your health and your quality of life. You can be older chronologically, but be younger and younger on the inside. As a result, you can remain fresh and vigorous longer on the outside as well. Thank God for those righteous saints, who have a lifetime of experience serving God, and who still have the strength and enthusiasm to teach and impart this wisdom to the younger generation! They are a great inspiration, and can challenge the next generation to reach higher and to aspire to follow and imitate their life of faith and victory. It is a beautiful thing to see a much older, godly person who is still full of life and spunk and joy!
The Hebrew word for “bring forth fruit” means: to germinate; to cause to flourish; to bring forth fruit; to make cheerful; to increase. The word for “fat” means: fat; rich: fertile. The word translated “flourish” here, means: to be green; verdant; new; prosperous; flourishing. The Lord promises that the righteous will be fat and flourishing: full of sap – spiritual vitality – and rich in the verdure (greenness or freshness) of trust, love, and contentment!
So even as the righteous grow older, they will still be able to contribute – they will still flourish and increase and continue to produce fruit. This is not the normal way people age. Usually you lose structural fat and there’s no way you could be called “green”, because everything has started to dry out. After a certain age, you certainly can’t produce anything new anymore. And yet, the Lord promises that if we faithfully serve Him and honor His word, that we will renew our strength like the eagle. He promises that we can have a great quality of life – a sound mind and body – until it’s our time to go home! This strength and vitality, fruitfulness and productiveness, peace and contentment, is the evidence of God’s blessing on a life. The uncompromisingly righteous are living memorials – their blessed life brings glory to God! Their blessed life proves that God is good and faithful to His promises! The Lord wants to bless you – it brings Him glory! You need to bring your life over to where His blessing is being poured out. His blessing is not being poured out where sin abounds, but it is poured out where people revere and honor and obey Him!
As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. 7 Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 AMP
We need to be rooted firmly and deeply in God and His word. We need to walk with the Lord – regulating our lives and conduct, in union with Him and conforming to Him. If we do, then we will see stability, peace, provision and good fruit manifest in our lives.
He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough. Proverbs 11:28 AMP
[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 AMP
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psalms 1:1-3 NIV
The uncompromisingly righteous – who trusts in, leans on, and relies on God; who puts his hope and confidence in Him; who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers; who delights on the law of the Lord and who meditates on it day and night – shall flourish like a green bough; he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; he shall not see and fear when heat comes; his leaves will remain green and not wither; he will not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought; he will yield his fruit in season and he’ll not cease yielding fruit. Whatever he does prospers! And he will bring much glory to God!