Nourishing, Relishing and Flourishing

UV 2784/10000 Nourishing, Relishing and Flourishing
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon
Psalm 92 v 12
While Peter Drucker said that those who innovate will flourish, the Word says that those who are righteous shall flourish. Often, the wicked, the criminal do innovate but eventually, their works are destroyed. Those who are faithful to the Lord, walk in integrity, repent of the occasional follies and blunders they commit, endeavour not to repeat these in their lives. Such persons experience both flourishing and growth. These are not merely persons who walk in integrity and who take pride in their self righteousness but persons who both fear and love the Lord and walk in both humility and integrity. They are humble as they know that but for the grace and mercy of the Lord, they too would be bound for eternal destruction like any other human. They therefore find their joy in the Lord. The joy of the Lord or rejoicing in the things the Lord has taught, imparted or blessed them with, the joy of having a personal relationship with their Redeemer is the sap that rises up in them.

The joy of the Lord causes the faithful to flourish. It also causes them to grow and learn all their lives. The faithful are therefore, continual or lifelong learners. Even when they become mature apostles, they have the attitude of being a disciple or learner. They are always in awe of the wisdom and power of the Lord. They do not pretend to know everything and are content with such revelations that the Lord has led them into. The sap in them causes them to bear fruit like a date palm. Date palms are the only fruits and often the only form of nourishing food available in the desert. The world is compared in this metaphor to a desert with few righteous persons. But these few thrive in the oasis of the Lord’s grace and provide eternal hope, meaning and direction to the spiritually famished multitudes. They bear spiritual fruit for the kingdom of God. A tree that bears fruit is blessed by Jesus and flourishes even as a tree that does not bear fruit is cursed and withers. The date palm is a hardy plant. It grows where it is planted without complaining. It withstands the rigours of the desert heat and wind like believers whose faith, hope and love endures despite great adversity and hardship.
The righteous not only flourish like date palms but grow in majesty and grace and wisdom like the cedar, the giant among trees. The cedar is a symbol of strength, beauty and sweet aroma of its scented wood. The DNA of the righteous is changed so that they keep growing right through their lives. They learn from every word spoken to them and from every experience. They do not exist for their own sake but also for the sake of the nourishing, flourishing and relishing of others.
Prateep V Philip