"Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;"
Psalm 92:13-14
I like the idea of flourishing here that goes along with the analogy of being a plant in the house of the Lord. I think that is exactly what God wants... for us to flourish as he cares for us. Unfortunately (and fortunately), we are more willful than plants, and we rarely can just sit there and soak up sun and nutrients (no offense of course to any plants in the audience who feel that is an unfair characterization). :)
Like in the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees, freedom is assumed here... at least the power to bear good or bad fruit, which within the analogy basically means what we do in and with our lives. I would think that in these verses it also means do we want to be a plant in the garden of the Lord, or do we want to grow wild? Plants do better when they are cared for and cultivated... that's how they flourish. A similar animal analogy would be sheep... who need a shepherd rather than being a rare and exotic species that flourishes alone.
Today, let's realize that we could all probably use some weeding and access to the light. Let's be willing to be cared for by God, and be called his, and not insist on growing wild on our own instead. Let's accept God's help so we don't need to worry about bugs or tree rot, and focus on growing rather than just eking out our survival. In the house of the Lord, we can flourish.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;"
Psalm 92:13-14
I like the idea of flourishing here that goes along with the analogy of being a plant in the house of the Lord. I think that is exactly what God wants... for us to flourish as he cares for us. Unfortunately (and fortunately), we are more willful than plants, and we rarely can just sit there and soak up sun and nutrients (no offense of course to any plants in the audience who feel that is an unfair characterization). :)
Like in the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees, freedom is assumed here... at least the power to bear good or bad fruit, which within the analogy basically means what we do in and with our lives. I would think that in these verses it also means do we want to be a plant in the garden of the Lord, or do we want to grow wild? Plants do better when they are cared for and cultivated... that's how they flourish. A similar animal analogy would be sheep... who need a shepherd rather than being a rare and exotic species that flourishes alone.
Today, let's realize that we could all probably use some weeding and access to the light. Let's be willing to be cared for by God, and be called his, and not insist on growing wild on our own instead. Let's accept God's help so we don't need to worry about bugs or tree rot, and focus on growing rather than just eking out our survival. In the house of the Lord, we can flourish.
I also feel like it is saying that when we get old that way we'll still be able to witness the people and let them see us flourish in God's loving kindness
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