Psalm 92:12-13 “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.”
The above verses contain two instances in which the word “flourish” is used by the Psalmist. The quality of life that we are able to experience when we are appropriately related to God, regardless of the circumstances that life may bring, is what this term is used to describe!
Does the term “flourish” come to mind when you think about your life? Who are those who flourish, and how do they do it? Look at the verse again. Did you see it? It’s the “righteous” who flourish. They flourish in the courts of our God because they are planted in Him! When our lives are planted in Him, we can flourish because He supplies all the nourishment we need to flourish!
First-time parents, Will and Elizabeth, were told that their two-month-old child was suffering from what is often referred to as ‘failure to thrive,’ which has the potential to be fatal. His regular checkup revealed that he had lost weight since the time of his birth. Concerned, the physician recommended that the infant include a special supplement to his or her food, which quickly gave the outcomes that were necessary for the infant to flourish. A difficult labour and delivery had been experienced by his mother, and as a result, she was unable to provide her son with all of the necessary nutrients.
The same is true of our spiritual lives. Jesus said He was the Living Water and the Bread of Life. We all know the importance of bread and water. Without them, our bodies would not survive long. Whenever we are hungry or thirsty, we know how to satisfy those needs. But do we do that spiritually? The real problem is we’re so busy doing the urgent that we fail to do the most important: nourish the soul. Someone once said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You happen to have a body.”
In the same way that our bodies require nourishment in order to flourish, so do our spirits. In the event that we are unable to flourish spiritually, we are required to take action. We can go to Christ, the living water and the bread of life. His Word will nourish our souls. Prayer will quench our thirst to connect with Him and experience His refreshing presence. This is the daily diet of every believer. Neglect it, and you will fail to thrive.
Sometimes, we try to satisfy our spiritual hunger with human resources. We may rely so heavily upon friends and the experiences of others that we haven’t learned how to go to Christ for our own spiritual food. Or, perhaps, we’ve had such a great spiritual feast in the past that we thought we would never have to eat again. We grew faint because we were still functioning on an encounter with God, we had years ago.
If you are spiritually hungry, it is not because God does not have an abundance of resources prepared and available for you. When God gave manna to the children of Israel in the wilderness, they had to go out each day to receive God’s daily provision. They could not store it up for the next day. It was fresh each morning. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Spiritual nourishment is something you must seek daily to thrive spiritually. When we connect with God daily through His Word, we feel the strength and spiritual vitality that time alone with Him offers.
Continue each day to feast on His Word and, through prayer and worship, quench your thirst for God. When you do, the Bible says you’ll flourish like a palm tree, you’ll grow like a cedar of Lebanon!