Daily Companion  |  16 June

LIFTED, GROWING AND FLOURISHING

Text: Psalms 92

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon’’ - Psalms 92:12. 

   The Chapter 92 of the book of Psalms opens with thanksgiving to God for His wonderful creations and how more wonderful God created man. The fools do not understand this. The wicked will perish eventually but the righteous shall be lifted and anointed with fresh oil and grow like palm and cedar of Lebanon. 

Who is a righteous man? Philippians 3:10-13 says that a righteous is one who trusts in the finished work of Christ at Calvary through faith having repented of his sin and lived out the word of God. He is not a man with self-righteousness, righteousness of the law nor righteousness of the Pharisees (Mathew 5:20). Rather, he relies on the righteousness of Christ through faith. A man with this kind of righteousness will certainly flourish like a palm. 

How does a palm look like in its spiritual illustration of a righteous man? (i) Longevity. Palms usually live long. Then it means, a righteous man will live long without experiencing pre-mature death. (ii) Weather the storm. Palm usually bounces back after a terrible storm blows against it. It illustrates the resilence, strength and longsuffering of a true child of God. Be sure, the storms of life cannot overcome you this year. (iii) Highly adaptive. It can be found at all seasons and climates. You can live anywhere successfully. (iv) All-round usefulness and fruitfulness. Like a palm tree, a righteous will prosper in whatever he lays his hands upon. (v) Multiple roots. It means several sources of sustenance. 

How then can you become a flourishing palm? As a sinner, you need to be born again by simply confessing your sin and receive the power of 'go-and-sin-no-more'. Believe the Word of God and claim the promises in peniitent prayer. You need to also endure the pruning process of God and adjust accordingly.   

Today’s Recite: “and he (I) shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his (my) fruit in his (my) season.”  - Psalms 1:3   

Today’s Morning Prayers: (i) Thank you Lord for who I am in You. (ii) Lord, I confess all sins that can make me to live below Your good plan for me (List them). (iii) Lord, I receive grace to endure my pruning process. (iv) Every parasite after my flourishing as a palm be destroyed in Jesus’ name. (v) I (put your name) will flourish like a palm in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen!   

Today’s Hymn: Count Your Blessings

Today’s ReadMe:  Psalm 46 - 50