Psalm 92:12-15 "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."
Staying on the theme of trees, this passage of scripture talks about palm and cedar trees. Of course, there are many varieties - just like any other tree... just like us.
The scripture above states that we will flourish like a palm tree. Palm trees grow from the center outward to form the 'leaves' or fronds. Our Center is Jesus, He is our source from whom we grow stronger. It's interesting that the fronds die off and are replaced by other fronds as the tree grows. As we grow in the Lord we shed off the old sinful nature as the new righteous nature comes forth.
When the tree reaches maturity, its fronds are at the top of the tree, fully exposed to the sun and elements of the sky. BUT this is where it's fruit can be found. They produce all different kinds of fruits: coconut, dates, peach-like fruit and acai berry; however, some of them are poisonous except to squirrels and foxes.
When we reach a certain point in our walk with the Lord, He reveals to us our gift(s) - our calling - our service for Him in the Kingdom of God. This doesn't mean we're all done with being transformed into the likeness of Jesus though. The higher the calling the more exposed we become to the Lord's gaze through the power of Holy Spirit. The more we push through whatever the Lord is showing us that needs transformed, the more we begin to see fruit growing from the fronds. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, and gentleness - all of these begin to germinate and grow within our lives.
The fruit is good for others to eat and to be nourished by. The fruit of our lives should bless others - they should see something in us that is different from the world. We lead people to Christ and/or we disciple them and/or we help them to grow having Jesus as their Center in some other way (maybe it's emotionally, mentally, or spiritually). Healing comes in all shapes and sizes.
The thing about palm trees is that they flourish in different climates. Some flourish in deserts and dry areas, some flourish in rain forests. They flourish where they're planted. We all have our unique place of residence in the Garden of the Lord - that we call 'Earth'.
All the while thanking and praising our Father.
Praise The Lord!!
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