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I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

I love the Psalms

Tag Archives: flourish

Flourish in the Courts of Our God

06 Wednesday Jan 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

bear fruit, flourish, fruits of the Spirit, trees

Reading: Psalm 92
(Verses 9-15)
For surely your enemies, LORD,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the L
ORD,
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 L
ORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him”
(NIV).*

img_20200523_1604299

Plum blossoms — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
God’s people have been called or compared to many things. Often we are likened to sheep—the sheep of the LORD’s pasture. But here in Psalm 92 we are likened to trees, the palm tree, the cedar and various fruit trees.

There is a striking parallel between the tree analogy found in this psalm and a similar analogy found in Psalm 1. In both cases the righteous are compared to trees. That person [the righteous] is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers (Psalm 1:3).

By its very nature, there is something very settled about a tree. Unlike a sheep, a tree is not prone to wander. Trees flourish or perish where they have taken root. Have you been planted in the house of the LORD? Are you staying fresh and green and flourishing in the courts of our God?

Fruitfulness begins with flowering. Is your relationship with God in the flowering stage? Have you fallen in love with Him—so in love that you radiate beauty? Are you and the message you bear attractive? Have you made yourself attractive because of your love for the Lord?

What about fruit? Are the fruits of the Spirit beginning to appear on your branches? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).

I can’t speak for you, but I would rather be a flourishing, fruit-bearing tree in the courts of the LORD than a wayward sheep.

Response: LORD God, daily I want to grow more in love with you. Grant me a settled heart. I want my life to bear fruit that will bring honor to you. Help me to radiate your goodness and beauty. Amen.

Your Turn: How attractive is the message you bear? What signals are you sending out into the world?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

The first volume of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is now available. For a closer look at this 262-page daily devotional book click here.

Extol the LORD

03 Saturday Mar 2018

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Psalm 115, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

blessed, children, flourish, forever, Maker, mankind, praise, the LORD

I will praise Him!

2018-02-05f

Snowy morning tangle — photo by David Kitz

May the LORD cause you to flourish,
    both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
    but the earth he has given to mankind.
It is not the dead who praise the LORD,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
it is we who extol the LORD,
    both now and forevermore.

Praise the LORD.

(Psalm 115:14-18, NIV)

They Will Stay Fresh and Green

20 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Psalm 92, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bear fruit, cedar of Lebanon, flourish, Gatineau, green, House of God, MosaiCanada 150, old age, palm tree, the LORD

I will praise Him!

2017-08-09a

MosaiCanada 150, Gatineau, Quebec — photo by David Kitz

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, NIV)

Planted in the House of the LORD

19 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 92, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

flourish, flowering, fruit, fruits of the Spirit, sheep, the LORD, trees

Reading:                                           Psalm 92

Verses 9-15

For surely your enemies, LORD,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the L
ORD,
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 L
ORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him”
(NIV).

Reflection

God’s people have been called or compared to many things. Often we are likened to sheep—the sheep of the LORD’s pasture. But here in Psalm 92 we are likened to trees, the palm tree, the cedar and various fruit trees.

img_20160916_142004

Looking up at trees — photo by David Kitz

There is a striking parallel between the tree analogy found in this psalm and a similar analogy found in Psalm 1. In both cases the righteous are compared to trees. That person [the righteous] is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers (Psalm 1:3).

By its very nature, there is something very settled about a tree. Unlike a sheep, a tree is not prone to wander. Trees flourish or perish where they have taken root. Have you been planted in the house of the LORD? Are you staying fresh and green and flourishing in the courts of our God?

Fruitfulness begins with flowering. Is your relationship with God in the flowering stage? Have you fallen in love with Him—so in love that you radiate beauty? Are you and the message you bear attractive? Have you made yourself attractive because of your love for the Lord?

What about fruit? Are the fruits of the Spirit beginning to appear on your branches? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).

I can’t speak for you, but I would rather be a flourishing, fruit-bearing tree in the courts of the LORD than a wayward sheep.

Response: LORD God, daily I want to grow more in love with you. Grant me a settled heart. I want my life to bear fruit that will bring honor to you. Help me to radiate your goodness and beauty. Amen.

Your Turn: How attractive is the message you bear? What signals are you sending out into the world?

Psalms Alive! devotional study

A Devotional Study

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Psalms

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