Christian Living

The Righteous Shall Flourish

by Ezekiel Olukolajo
10/12/15
Not For Sale
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL FLOURISH!

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 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 92:12-14;
To flourish means to prosper, to succeed, to blossom, to thrive, to boom, to do well and to grow or increase without restrictions. When something flourishes, it means there are no threats, pressures or restrictions from the environment that can stop it or hamper its growth and success. According to 3 John verse 2, the desire of God for all His children is for them to flourish in every aspect of life and living. The scripture says ‘Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth’.

The kind of flourishing God has in mind for His children, is the kind that reflects in every aspect of their life- that means all round flourishing. It is for this reason the scripture compares the flourishing of the righteous to that of the palm tree. There are so many striking features in the palm tree which make it outstanding from all other trees and plants. 
   
The first striking feature of the palm tree is its height. The palm tree frequently attains a height of eighty feet, but more commonly forty to fifty feet. With its height, the palm tree cannot be ignored; it clearly stands out among other trees and cannot be hidden. If your life does not compel attention, it may be because you’re not flourishing the way God desires. When you begin to flourish the way God desires, you’re bound to stand tall and stand out; your life will become a reference point and source of envy by the people around. In Genesis Chapter 26, the bible talks about the flourishing of Isaac in the land of Gerar. Right in land that was ravaged with famine and drought, Isaac flourished and prospered so much that the whole country of the Philistines envied him. 

Another significant feature of the palm tree is that everything about it is useful and valuable. The palm is, in truth, a beautiful and most useful tree. Its fruit is the daily food of millions; its sap furnishes an agreeable wine; the fibres of the base of its leaves are woven into ropes and rigging; its tall stem supplies a valuable timber; its leaves are manufactured into brushes, mats, bags, couches and baskets. Like the palm tree, it is God’s burning desire that everything about your life as His child becomes a source of blessings. Those who are connected to the divine source are known by the fact that their lives become answers and solutions to their world. The life of Joseph is a very good example of how a single man’s life can be embodiment of blessings and solution to the whole world. When he was in the house of Portiphar, everything prospered; when he was in the prison, the atmosphere changed and radiated; when he became the Prime Minister in Egypt, the whole world was saved from extinction by famine because of his wisdom. When you flourish, you’re not only blessed, you become a source of blessing unto everyone around.

One other striking feature about the palm tree is that of its fruitfulness, the perpetual greenness of its foliage irrespective of the season. The palm tree grows slowly, but steadily, from century to century, uninfluenced by those alternations of the seasons which affect other trees. It does not matter the seasons, the palm tree continues to flourish and bear fruits. There’s no way your prosperity can be steady and lasting except it is connected to the Everlasting God. There are so many people in the world that were great during the yesteryears, but no one remembers they ever existed today. Psalm 92:7 says ‘When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever’. If your life is not connected to God, your prosperity is only for a moment, it will soon pass away!

What determines your flourishing is basically where you’re planted. Where are you planted? Psalm 92:13 says ‘Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God’.  Except you’re planted and grounded in God, you can never have access to the everlasting source that will guarantee your flourishing the way God desires. If you’re living in sin and unrighteousness, you cannot flourish because sin will bring reproach upon your life. Sin is an invitation to curses but righteous living guarantees continuous access into the source that can never dry. Psalm 1:1-3 says ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper’.

To flourish as God desires, you must be ready to live a life of complete obedience, sacrificial giving and constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit. You cannot afford to mishandle your relationship with God because it is the source of your life and strength. To be able to withstand the pressures and blossom irrespective of the harsh conditions, you must stay connected to God, the source of all good and perfect gifts.

Shalom!

Ezekiel Olukolajo
January, 2015

Contact: [email protected]