November 5, 2019
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessed word that God has given for you today, is from the book of Psalms 92:12, “The Righteous Shall flourish like a Palm tree. He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon.”
My Dear Brothers and Sisters from the above context we understand the beauty, the erectness, the stateliness and the growth of the palm tree. All this is the symbol of the prosperity, and the happiness of a righteous man. The Palm tree is constantly green and flourishing, spreads its branches very wide and grows to a vast size. The tree affords refreshing shade to travellers. It also produces dates a very sweet luscious kind of fruit. It is a most beautiful tree. And in every way, an invaluable treasure to the inhabitants of those hot countries. And hence it is considered as a fit symbol of the flourishing state of a righteous man.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Bible says, the righteous grow like a Cedar, in Lebanon. They are immensely large, Some of them are nearly 35 to 40 feet tall. They flourish for ages. And are always, green. When cut down they yield a most beautiful, kind of wood, brown in colour, solid, durable, and in some sort incorruptible. The Cedars as well as the palm trees when compared to the short lived and withering grass are a striking illustration of the well founded durable, and continually increasing virtue and happiness of the truly righteous in opposition to the momentary, trifling and perpetually decaying prosperity of the wicked.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Cedar is a noble and long lived tree. The Bible says, As the days of a tree, are the days, of my people. Just as the Cedar waves its mighty branches in perpetual verdure over the mountains, the truly godly man under all adversities retains the joy of his soul and continues to make progress in the divine life. Though the grass makes hay for the oxen the Cedars help in building the temple of the Lord. The palm trees too were planted within the very house of the Lord, and their presence there was ornamental, appropriate and highly suggestive. They were best emblem of the righteous, a fat, and flourishing old age – a peaceful end – a glorious immortality.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, God sometimes grants prosperity to wicked men in displeasure. Yet they flourish but for a moment. Hence let us seek for ourselves the salvation and grace of the Gospel. Let us be anointed by the Holy Spirit, and share the Redeemer’s glory. It is from his grace, by his word and Spirit, that believers receive all the virtue, that keeps them alive. And makes them fruitful. 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 in the noblest manner. May the Lord help you also to be righteous and walk worthy of the Lord God.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Dear Lord, help us to grow in the Lord daily like the trees that brings forth fruit in its season. Lord let our days be like the trees that live long. Teach us to enjoy peace and grow fat like stall fed calves. Make our lives a blessing to others.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
