Trusting in God Will Allow You to Flourish

"He who trusts in his riches will fall.

But the righteous will flourish like foliage."

(Proverbs 11:28 NKJV)

   

    The righteous are those who put their trust in God. They have chosen to follow an unchanging God rather than follow after uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17). They see what money can buy yet value God's blessings as greater and far more worthy of obtaining (Psalm 68:19, Ephesians 1:3-14; 3:20).

    "No one can serve two masters;

for either he will hate the one and love the other,

or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and riches."

(Matthew 6:24 NKJV)

    God grants us the ability to work and make money (Deuteronomy 8:18). It is not a sin to have money; it is something necessary, but it is not the be-all and end-all of life (think on Luke 12:15-21). The Israelites were told to remember that it was God who granted them ability to gain wealth - it was a blessing from Him and it was only right that they acknowledge that and thank Him, and use their money for good purposes, just as we are also instructed to do (Consider 1 Timothy 6:18-19 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-12).

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal;

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

(Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV) 

    Those who trust in God will have lasting contentment, continued growth, and a flourishing faith because they have set their mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-2), where their hope is firmly anchored in eternity! They know that money will not save them, its accumulation here on earth will not grant them any special merit on that final Day; no, the righteous understand that all they have is from God and He is the One to wholly trust and obey!

    Are you ready to flourish? - "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psalm 34:8 NKJV)

    You can do it! So can I!!

   

"...in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing..."

"They shall bear fruit in old age;

they shall be fresh and flourishing,

to declare that the LORD is upright;

He is my rock, and there is

no unrighteousness in Him."

(Psalm 92:14-15 NKJV)

    Isn't that a beautiful image? A man, a woman, in old age still delighted in learning more from God's word, still improving, still growing deeper in faith, still joyful about God and the gift of His Son, filled to overflowing with complete assurance of God's power, promises, and truth because over the years they have relied on them and proven them true, and now more than ever they love to talk about and share their confident hope with others!

       "Therefore do not lose heart.

Even though our outward man is perishing,

yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."

(2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV)

    We will continue to bear good fruit in old age when we daily renew our mind and spirit through reading and application of God's word! Romans 12:2 instructs us to not settle into the world's ways but develop and grow ("be transformed") in God's way, by the renewing of your mind. This mind renewal is mentioned again in Ephesians 4:22-24, where Paul gave command to the Christians to stop following their old, corrupt ways and instead be renewed in the spirit of their mind by following the new way created by God in true righteousness and holiness.

    Sin is always a downward spiral, but God's way, though difficult (Matthew 7:13-14), is an ever upward spiral! Learning => trusting => obeying => God's promises, His wisdom, His help proven true =>  trust grows stronger => desire to learn more => increased faithful obedience ===> up, up, UP!   As our roots grow deeper into the living water (John 4:10-14), our boughs will stretch upward, flourishing with growth and development in God's marvelous light!

    What can older women do specifically? Well, alongside the encouragement they provide to all by continuing to study God's word, happily obeying His commands, and faithfully attending church services - all things that will keep them fresh, flourishing, and bearing fruit! - I think Titus 2:3-5 gives a good answer! Older women can teach younger women, young wives, how to live properly before God, to love and obey their husbands, to love their children, and how to use their time wisely and well. They do this by example and with encouraging advice and admonishment. In doing so older women will be declaring God and His way as upright! They will make it evident to all that He is their Rock and that they have found no unrighteousness in Him!

    "O God, You have taught me from my youth;

and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

Now also when I am old and grayheaded,

O God, do not forsake me,

until I declare Your strength to this generation,

Your power to everyone who is to come."

(Psalm 71:17-18 NKJV)

    You can do it! So can I!!

  

"Those planted... shall flourish in the courts of our God"

"Those who are planted in the house of the LORD

shall flourish in the courts of our God."

(Psalm 92:13 NKJV)

    What a beautiful thought - so poetic and pretty - but it is so much more than just a pleasing thought, it is a truth that we are living! The psalmist was writing about us!

    The prophet Isaiah even spoke of Christians in this way, "...that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:3b). We are alive and flourishing under God's care so that we may bring glory to Him (Matthew 5:16, Ephesians 1:12, 1 Peter 2:9)!

    God planted us in His house. The word 'planted' is a short form of the term 'transplanted' meaning, moved or transferred to another place or situation. Has God done that with us?  Consider, if you will, these passages:

• "...that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..." (1 Peter 2:9)
• "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed* us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Colossians 3:13)  *conveyed = transferred 
• "...in order to turn then from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me." (Acts 26:18)
• "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47)

    When we obeyed the gospel, God transplanted us into "the house of the LORD" - Jesus' body, the church (Hebrews 3:6, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Ephesians 1:22-23)! We are now sheltered "in the courts of our God," where we are nourished (Isaiah 55:1-2, Matthew 5:6) and able to flourish!!

"Blessed are those who dwell in Your house,

they will still be praising You."

(Psalm 84:4 NKJV)

    Courts or courtyards surrounding both the king's palace and the temple were accessible only by permissions granted by the king or the religious rulers. Some courts of the temple were inaccessible to Gentiles/Greeks, but God plants all who come in faith and obedience in His courts (Galatians 3:26-28, Romans 10:10-13), where we find all we need to grow and develop (Psalm 23:6, 27:4, 65:4, , 2 Timothy 3:16-17), where we find every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14)!

    Dig your roots deep into all that God, the Master Gardener, faithfully supplies for your nourishment!! Continue to faithfully flourish under His care and provision, so that He may be glorified in all you do!!

You can do it! So can I!! 

"Praise the LORD!

Praise the name of the LORD;

Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!

You who stand in the house of the LORD,

In the courts of the house of our God,

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant."
(Psalm 135:1-3 NKJV)

     

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree..."

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,

He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon."

(Psalm 92:12 NKJV)

    The psalmist describes the righteous as flourishing like a palm tree. Where do palm trees typically grow? In hot, dry, sometimes harsh conditions, right? Yet they flourish! How? By reaching their roots deep down into the ground in search of life-sustaining resources! When they find it they anchor themselves on that stream of nourishment and soon become an oasis for parched souls seeking reprieve from the relentless heat of the desert!

    We, too, had to stretch and reach our roots in search of life-sustaining nourishment. When we dug our roots into God's Word (Ephesians 5:10, 17) we found the living water - the very fountain of life (John 4:14; 7:37-39, Isaiah 55:1-3) and we anchored our roots there, gaining nourishment (Matthew 5:6) and strength (Philippians 4:11-13) to weather any condition (2 Corinthians 12-9-10, Jeremiah 17:7-8)!! We soon become an "oasis" in the world's desert - a place where people find relief as we share with them the living water from God (Matthew 5:13-16), in hopes that they too may dig in and anchor themselves in the pure source of truth, wisdom, and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3, John 14:6; 17:17)!

    The psalmist goes on to describe the righteous person as growing like a cedar in Lebanon. Cedars from Lebanon were specifically sent for and used in the constructing of both the king's palaces and the temple (2 Samuel 5:11, 1 Kings 5:2-10, 2 Chronicles 2:3-16). They were known for being very strong, having a pleasant fragrance, being easy to work with and shape, having ability to weather storms with minimal shrinkage or distortion, and resisting decay. They were sought after for both their beauty and their strength.

We, as Christians, are known by our fragrance (2 Corinthians 2:14-17), an aroma that is pleasing to God (Ephesians 5:1-2). We have hearts that can be worked with and shaped/transformed (Romans 12:1-2, Isaiah 64:8), through God's blessings we have strength to weather the storms of life and because of His blessings we are not distorted or jaded by the troubles we endure, and we do all we can to resist the decay of sin (James 4:7, Psalm 119:59-60; 67-69, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 15:58; 16:13-14)!

Now, consider for a moment King David's prayer for the people who would be blessed by God, specifically what he said about females: "...that our daughters may be as pillars, sculpted in palace style." (Psalm 144:12) David's envisioned the women serving God as being strong like the cedars from Lebanon that supported his dwelling, and able to bear up with elegance - they would be useful, strong, and beautiful (1 Peter 3:3-4, Proverbs 31)! 

Keep digging your roots into God's holy word, drink from the living water, anchor your roots in God's Truth! Let your faith continue to flourish as you study and obey so you can be an oasis for a parched soul lost in sin! Stand tall, be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10), and bear up under your burdens with elegance!

You can do it! So can I!!     

   

"In His days the righteous shall flourish..."

    Solomon was blessed among other things with knowledge of Jesus - who would come 24 generations (or 1200 years) after him! Psalm 72 declares the glory of Jesus' coming and how His coming would bring good things to the world.

    "He will judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice." (vv.2, 4; 12-14, see Acts 17:30-31, 2 Timothy 4:8, Revelation 19:11, 1 John 3:17, Matthew 11:5, James 2:5)

    "He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth." (v. 6) Jesus' coming to earth would be a time of refreshing (Acts 3:18-21). The Word of God would come in the flesh (John 1:1-5, 14) and give hope and sustenance to all who believe in Him "as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations" (v.5, see Luke 9:56; 19:10, Mark16:15-16, Hebrews 13:8, 1 Peter 1:22-23)

    From the time Jesus came to earth and until the moon is no more "the righteous shall flourish" (v.7) Flourish means to spring up, grow, and spread - and that is exactly what happened! Consider the book of Acts, just as Jesus declared in Acts 1:8, that His gospel message would begin in Jerusalem (a city, fulfilled in Acts 2-7), then go into all of Judea and Samaria (the large regions North and South of Jerusalem, fulfilled in Acts 8 and beyond), then spread to the end of the earth (see Colossians 1:23). We here, on the other side of the world in North America, are proof that the gospel spread to the end of the earth - we have had it sown in our hearts and it has sprung up and grown and we flourish!!

    The "abundance of peace" that was foretold by Solomon (in verse 7) is the peace that we now have with God through the reconciliation provided by Christ (Colossians 1:19-23). Our sin separated us from God, but Jesus' sacrifice paid the price and we now can seek God and be holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight IF we continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard!

    The righteous continue to flourish because the the word of God is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12)! The truth, the peace, the hope, the strength, the comfort we find in Jesus allows us to flourish and grow as we become rooted and built up in Him (Colossians 2:6-7, 2 Peter 3:18)! And our joy and thanksgiving for what we have in Jesus will motivate us to tell others of our hope (Matthew 5:13-16, 1 Peter 3:15) - the flourishing continues as more people come to Jesus, obey the gospel, and live faithfully before God!!

    What a wonderful thing it is to consider that we are living proof of a bible prophecy!!

    Please make time to read the whole of Psalm 72. Think on Jesus - and just how much God loves us to have sent Him (John 3:16). Think on these things as you continue to faithfully flourish and make every effort to walk in righteousness before God!!

    You can do it! So can I!!