By Simon Cayzer
I can see a thriving cedar and palm tree from my lounge, which in part may explain why I love the image of flourishing with God in Psalm 92. This song calls us to sink our roots deeply into God’s resources throughout our lives, leading us to flourish like palm trees and strong cedars. Around the Psalmist are those who reject God, flourishing briefly like flowers, and failing to see the long view of life.
“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)
The Psalm starts with a call to proclaim God’s love in the morning and God’s faithfulness in the evening. This encourages me to practice rhythms of focusing on and worshipping God. I recently stayed with friends in another city. My friend feels a desperate need for God’s help each and every day. This motivates him to spend time in the bible with Jesus each morning.
In some seasons of life, daily rhythms become very difficult. During the demanding years of caring for young children, Juliet reflected on the verses she had memorised during her student years. We need freedom to adapt our practices and rhythms with the changing seasons of life.
Every year, I invest in extended time alone with God. This is both a discipline and a delight. I find God reveals what I need for the coming year. Extended time with God creates much-needed space to delight in God, to have my perspective renewed by God and his word, and to pray for the people and things on my heart. Psalm 84:10 is a powerful motivation for doing this, stating that a single day spent in God’s house is better than a thousand days anywhere else. Some seasons of life require more planning to do this. When our children were young, my Mum would look after our kids for a weekend while Juliet and I stayed in a cabin at a campground. We enjoyed time together and extended time with God, sharing what God impressed on us. This was a precious gift.
Alongside creating space for dedicated time with God, we can grow to know, love, and become like Jesus as we go about our everyday lives. I love the idea expressed in John 14:21 where Jesus tells us he will reveal himself to us as we obey him, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”(NIV) As you faithfully go about your work in a workplace or home setting, Jesus is with you and will reveal himself to you. I often remind myself of Jesus’ presence as I go into situations, especially when I feel inadequate, asking for the Spirit’s help with what I say and do.
I was recently surprised to see the strong connection between knowing Jesus more deeply and suffering. This is expressed well in 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV), “There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine… So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” We also see this truth in Psalm 92. Into old age, the Psalmist declares their absolute trust in God’s goodness. Last year, Juliet and I experienced several disappointing losses. We would both say these challenges caused us to seek and experience more of God in our lives. I also think of people who are suffering at the end of life yet continue to trust in God’s love and faithfulness. What a wonderful testimony and encouragement to others.
Just as a tree doesn’t plant itself, we are planted into God’s household by the Lord. Our response is to deeply root ourselves in God’s resources. How we do this will look different as the seasons and circumstances of our lives change. The goal remains the same, to grow in the passion to know, love and become like Jesus.