My friends in Tulsa, OK., are going to think I'm getting ready to write about them because the name of their church is "Evergreen". But, actually I'm not. However, what I'm writing could be true of the people in their church family and/or yours or mine.
God really got my attention this week as I was reading through the Chronological Bible Study Devotional readings. We are covering a lot of Psalms right now. The verse that hung on my heart this week so far is out of Psalm 92:12.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
I love to research what commentaries have to say on the things God puts on my heart. So, the one that really encouraged me was from Charles Spurgeon's collection of "The Treasury of David" which reads...
Verse 12. The song now contrasts the condition of the righteous with that of the graceless. The wicked "spring as the grass", but the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, whose growth may not be so rapid, but whose endurance for centuries is in fine contrast with the transitory verdure of the meadow. When we see a noble palm standing erect, sending all its strength upward in one bold column, and growing amid the dearth and drought of the desert, we have a fine picture of the godly man, who in his uprightness aims alone at the glory of God; and, independent of outward circumstances, is made by divine grace to live and thrive where all things else perish. The text tells us not only what the righteous is, but what he shall be; come what may, the good man shall flourish, and flourish after the noblest manner. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. This is another noble and long lived tree. "As the days of a tree are the days of my people", saith the Lord. On the summit of the mountain, unsheltered from the blast, the cedar waves its mighty branches in perpetual verdure, and so the truly godly man under all adversities retains the joy of his soul, and continues to make progress in the divine life. Grass, which makes hay for oxen, is a good enough emblem of the unregenerate; but cedars, which build the temple of the Lord, are none too excellent to set forth the heirs of heaven.
Something noteworthy to understand about the palm tree and the Cedar in Lebanon: They are both Evergreen trees. That means they are a plant that has leaves in all four seasons, and are always green which is where the term "evergreen" comes from. The palm tree is found mostly in dry, desert, tropical areas, the cedar of Lebanon in the mountains.
Such a power packed breakdown of that verse! Oh, don't we all need to be reminded often that we should be "aiming alone for the glory of God"! I know I do! "Not moved by our outward circumstances"! Isn't that the journey we are all on! To be able to "by divine grace live and thrive where all things else perish"! Only God in us can accomplish that through us! And like the cedar of Lebanon haven't we all felt "unsheltered from the blast"! We use the term "blindsided", meaning we had no idea that was coming at us. Whew! But yet in all the adversities, "retains the joy of his soul, and continues to make progress in the divine life". I pray that God will continue to grow me in the ability to retain the joy of my soul in the storms. I don't think I do so well at that these days. But the desire for God to continue to grow me in that is Big! I desire that of you, too, that our lights may continue to shine in an ever-increasing dark world that we may reach the nations for His Glory!
Love you all,
His,
Vickie
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