FLOURISH LIKE A PALM TREE

                                     

  Palm trees in a desert

Many years ago when the great missionary Adoniram Judson was home on vacation, he passed through the city of Stonington, Connecticut. A young boy playing about the wharves at the time of Judson’s arrival was struck by the man’s appearance. Never before had he seen such a light on any human face. He ran up the street to a minister to ask if he knew who the stranger was. The minister hurried back with him, but became so absorbed in conversation with Judson that he forgot all about the impatient youngster standing near him.

Many years afterward that boy who could never get away from the influence of that wonderful face became the famous preacher and author Henry Clay Trumbull. In a book of memoirs he penned a chapter entitled: “What a Boy Saw in the Face of Adoniram Judson.” That lighted countenance had changed his life.( The lighted face of Judson- Character Journal 2013),

In Psalm 1:1-3 we are told that blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on it day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither.  In Psalm 92 We read “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree…planted in the house of the lord they will flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright” (Psalm 92:12-15).

Why does the Lord liken the righteous to the palm tree? Why is the figure of the palm tree appropriate as an illustration of what every Christian ought to be? Those who are familiar with the graceful towering beauty of palm tree can see characteristics that make it a useful illustration of the beauty of Christian life. Three times (v.12, 13, 14) in this paragraph, it is stated that the palm tree will be a flourishing tree.

In verse 13 we note that the tree was planted in the house of God, but it was flourishing in the Courts of the Lord. A Christian has his roots in God and then people around him bask under his flourishing branches and feed on his fruits. The palm tree is noted for its beauty. Many trees put on their beauty in the rainy season but their leaves dry and fall off in dry seasons; their beauty is seasonal. Not so the palm tree; it has a green, flourishing top throughout the year. 

True beauty begins with a solid foundation of faith, love, and trust in God. Spending time with God makes a man beautiful. After spending time with God on the mountain, Moses face became very radiant (Exodus 34:28-30). The “Israelite's could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?” (2 Cor. 3:7-8). The Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) manifested is a Christian’s life is a real beauty. A godly man is admirable; his inner beauty and outward actions just like the foliage of a palm tree are high up, where lower things cannot damage or destroy them.

A godly person is beautiful in all seasons of life. His mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace (Rom.8:6). The godly has found wisdom and her (wisdom) ways are pleasant and all her paths are peace (Prov. 3:13, 17). His wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). They have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation (Phil. 4:12). They give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18). They are never lacking in zeal, but keep their spiritual fervor, serving the Lord; joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Rom. 12:11-13).

There is no sight on earth more beautiful to the weary traveler in the hot sands of the desert than to catch a glimpse of a palm tree. It not only means shade and shelter from the hot, burning sun, but a spring of water is usually found where the palm grows. The very first place that palm trees are mentioned in the Bible is in Exodus 15:27. After a weary journey through the wilderness, the Israelite's came to Elim, a place of twelve wells and seventy palm trees. In that place of refreshment, the Israelite's found the strength which they needed to go on.

There in the desert, the fruit full palm trees stood tall and straight with luxuriant growth. The godly will flourish in any place, against all odds. They will grow and flourish right in the deserts of this life providing fruit, shade and refreshment to the weary people. The palm tree lends a great charm to the landscape and its evergreen foliage makes each particular tree an object of beauty. Storms may shake and sway the tree back and forth with great force but it won't break. And all the while, it’s inexpressibly graceful.

The palm tree is very useful; its shade gives cooling effect in the heat of the day, the stem and leaves thatch houses. The fruits are very nutritious. The tree has many medical values. Christians provide many benefits to those around them: their gracious and salt seasoned words (Col. 4:6) promote healing of the wounded hearts.  Their company refreshes (Rom. 15:32, 2 Cor. 7:13) and their prayers protect (Isa. 62:6, Rom. 15:30, 31). They are rich in good deeds, are generous and willing to share. In this way they lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Tim. 5:10, 6:18-19)

The fiber of the palm is so elastic that, even when loaded with considerable weights, the tree still grows determinate upwards. The godly man may have much to depress him and to hamper his growth, but this will not break him; he will still rise to a noble height of virtue and holiness. He moves in one heavenward direction, governed always by true and abiding principles. He is not swayed and derailed by winds of immorality, corruption and materialism that move around him every day.

Abraham's kept his focus on his eternal home, he was contented to live in tents on the mountains; the well watered green pastures in the plains of Sodom and the permanent cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had little attraction to him (Gen. 5:5-12, Heb. 11:9-10). He was so close to God that God referred to him as “Abraham my friend” (Isa.41:8). Loyalty and riches of Egypt could not derail Moses either (Heb.11:24-27). He kept his focus upward because he saw him who is invisible (Heb.11:24-27).  Moses would speak to God face to face as one speaks to a friend presence (Exodus 33:7-11).

The palm bears fruits is never gets too old to bear fruits and as it grows older, its fruit grows sweeter. The older trees with scarred trunks produce the sweetest fruit. Those who are well anchored in God bear fruit throughout life. As they grow older, their fruit get sweeter. The scars they get in life make their fruit sweeter. Moses was 120 years when he died, yet his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated (Duet. 34:7).

Solomon carved the temple walls and the two doors with figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers (1 Kings 6:29, 32). At a later date Ezekiel ordered the builders to be sure that the palm trees were an integral part of the interior decoration of the temple (Ezekiel 40:16,31, 41:18-20) that the truth related to the palm tree might be forever remembered among the people of God.

Psalm 92:15 gives the very reason that God prospers palm trees. The Amplified Version puts it very nicely “They are living memorials to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises”. A flourishing aged Christian is proof that God has kept his promises. In Revelation7, the very last place that palm trees are mentioned in the Bible, a great host of people are standing in the presence of God. They are waving the palms of victory, indicating that the battle has been fought and the victory has been won.