Category: Spiritual

Philippians 4:1-4    

Because this earth is not the believers’ home, we are to set our affection on heavenly things, not earthly things. Yet sometimes we allow our circumstances to become a distraction, taking our focus off heavenly things. In verse one Apostle Paul epitomizes the spirit of love for God and man. Even though he is imprisoned, he doesn’t drown himself in self-pity; he is concerned for his fellow Philippian brothers, his joy and crown, whom he loves and longs to see. He writes them, exhorting them to stand fast in the Lord. That same command applies to us still today. We must hold on to our faith in Him. No matter how dire our circumstances may be, we can’t afford to give up on Him because with Him all things are possible; without Him we will surely fail. The Gospel great, Yolanda Adams sings “The Battle Is the Lord’s.” Because the battle is His, we must continue to stand fast in the Him; He’s fighting every step of the way for us as long as we live in this fallen world and obediently surrender to His will. Isaiah 40:29, (NIV) states, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” When we are in a season of suffering, Satan attacks us, planting seeds of doubt about who we are and whose we are; however, we can’t give up; it’s just a test.  

At Philippi two church sisters were having relationship issues. Scripture says that God does not show favoritism, and we must not think more highly of ourselves than others because we all have faults. Paul pleads with them to be of the same mind in the Lord (v. 2) for unity brings a spirit of joy and love in the body of Christ. Believers will have disagreements, but we must humble ourselves, put our squabbling aside and forgive one another. Our ultimate example of forgiveness is Jesus. He was crucified at Calvary, and one of his last words was “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24).  

Paul emphatically commands the church to always rejoice in the Lord. Regardless of our circumstances, we are to always express our joy found through Christ. In recounting all God has done in our lives, we realize how blessed we are. We may not have riches according to man’s standards, but if we have been so blessed, rejoice in the Lord for the earth is His and all that’s in it. Let us not focus on what we don’t have; focus instead on what we have been blessed to have. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21, paraphrased). Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.

Psalm 92:14-15

David informs us that there is no limit to relevance and usefulness of the righteous. “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing” (Psalm 92:14). The righteous is blessed to flourish like the palm tree that lives long, stands straight, and is useful just “ like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season” (Psalm 1:3). We are also blessed to grow spiritually like the cedar that is majestic and stable. That growth only happens because we abide in Christ Jesus. Every branch in Jesus that does not bear fruit, our Father removes. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit” (John15:2, NRSV). Even in old age, the righteous will produce spiritual fruit. If you don’t believe it, check out some seasoned saints. You will be delighted to find many are still sharp, and their spiritual perspective is relevant and timely based on a lifetime of commitment to God.

The psalmist further states that the righteous shall be “fat and flourishing.” Figuratively he compares our spiritual condition to flourishing like the palm tree and growing like the cedar. We are spiritually alive and spiritually healthy because the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to produce much fruit. In Christ we have an abundance of life; therefore, we are blessed and highly favored. We should never allow our present situation to dictate who we are in God. As children of God, we should never forget we are trees of righteousness. We will not decay; we will live eternally if we abide in Christ Jesus.

“To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (Psalm 92:15). The psalmist here manifests that the Lord is upright and just in all His ways. He proclaims God to be his rock; therefore, He is our rock – the Rock of our salvation.  We can stand firm in Him and on Him. He is solid and keeps us stable when all other ground is sinking sand. As trees of righteousness our eternal destiny and secure prosperity is in Him. What the Lord said He’ll do, He will fulfill it for “He is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works.”  There is no unrighteousness in him. Thank God there isn’t because we are sinners and don’t deserve to live and Jesus die.  

Believers must continually abide in Christ Jesus, the vine to which we are attached, who anchors us by our faith and provides us with the nutrients necessary for us to live, grow, and become more productive so that we may be able to stand during storms of life. Yes, storms will come, and winds may blow, but we are to stand firm against the fiery dots of Satan, and do not be moved by his schemes. We may be at a very vulnerable place in our life, but we must refuse to abandon our faith in God. Hold on. ^“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope” (Jeremiah 29:1).

Children of God Are Trees of Righteousness (Part One)

Psalm 92:12-13

Psalm 92 is a song that was sung at the time of the morning sacrifice in Temple services on the Sabbath. Verses 12-15 testify to the prosperity of the righteous.

Here the author compares believers to the palm tree and the cedar in Lebanon. “¹²The righteous will flourish like the date palm [long-lived, upright and useful]; they will grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic and stable]” (v.12, AMP). The palm tree lives long, and we will too by obeying and respecting our parents; this pleases God. We casually say, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.” But have we really considered the magnitude of its meaning? We will never tell all of God’s goodness, but we can always have praise on our lips and in our hearts.

Like the palm tree we are to stand upright in the Lord all day every day; let the world see Christ Jesus in us. Our character must be reflective of His. Because we are His children, we are His heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus, sharing His spiritual blessing, inheritance, and, if we share in His suffering, we may share in His glory (Romans 8:16-17, paraphrased). We will sometimes suffer in this old sinful world for righteousness sake; yet we are still blessed if we remain in Christ Jesus; it is the only way to be useful in the body of Christ. Further study reveals that the palm grows straight up. We should be straight up honest and just in our dealings with one another. It has no branches and is green and flourishing year round and grows to a vast size. It also produces dates, a very sweet, luscious, kind of fruit; is a most beautiful tree, and it is a very useful treasure to the inhabitants of those hot places where they grow. Don’t forget the fruit of kindness. It goes a long way in reaching out to others just as Jesus does for us each and every day.  When you consider all the features of the palm tree, it most appropriately symbolizes the flourishing state of the righteous. 

 “He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” The cedars in Lebanon grow very large, with branches having a great span. They flourish for ages, and they, too, are always green. The cedars in Lebanon, as well as the palm trees, are examples of characteristics of a truly righteous person – upright, stable, and continuously producing the fruit of love because God judges us by what’s in our heart. In spite of the storms of life or even droughts that we have endured, weare trees of righteousness, and our strength comes from trusting God.

“¹³Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” Along the way, we may stumble and fall for a season, but God the Father is right there with His arms stretched wide open waiting to receive us back to Himself. Thank God for His enduring mercy. Stay connected to God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ for without Him we can do nothing. We need His life-sustaining words; “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).  Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will grow up and flourish like the palm and cedar trees.

Luke 15:3-7

Now all the publicans, or tax collectors, and sinners drew close to Jesus to hear him (v. 1, paraphrased). The Jewish tax collectors were despised by their fellow Jewish brothers and sisters because they collected taxes for the Roman government. These were despised and even classified with harlots and those that were called sinners, yet they demonstrated an attitude of humility. They had a desire to hear what the Lord had to say.

The Pharisees and the scribes were the religious leaders; it seems that they would have been the first and most eager to draw near to Jesus to hear the message of salvation!  Oh, no!  What did the Pharisees and scribes do?  They murmured and complained about Jesus among themselves because they were offended and jealous, saying that he accepts and welcomes sinners and eats with them. These self-righteous, prideful, and judgmental leaders felt that Jesus should not hangout with these so-called “unfit” people.

Jesus responds to the Pharisees and the scribes’ murmuring, telling three parables which illustrate God’s work in salvation – seeking and rejoicing when the lost is found. The first parable is about one lost sheep out of a hundred that foolishly wander away (15:4).  It contrasts the love of God with the exclusiveness of the Pharisees.

“³ So He told them this parable: ⁴ What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost, [searching] until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” (AMP).

By nature the sheep is a prey animal and is a most helpless and vulnerable creature. It will wander aimlessly, exposing itself to the danger of being attacked by its predators, and worst of all, it doesn’t have the instinct to find its way home or to seek safety. However, in the spiritual realm, Luke uses the lost sheep to represent one of God’s children who has gone astray. Just like the lost sheep in the natural realm, the lost, or backslidden child of God wanders aimlessly, exposing himself or herself to the danger of being attacked by the devil. Out of God’s protection the lost soul is defenseless against the wiles of the devil. 

The shepherd is persistent; he never gives up. He continues searching for the lost sheep until he finds it. With this same persistence God the Father, the Great Shepherd of the sheep goes after the lost soul until he finds it. God is love, his love is everlasting, and his search for the lost soul is everlasting. For he “will have all men to be saved” (1Timothy 2:4a).

 ^“6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. ⁷I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repented, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

God seeks the lost and rejoices when one is found.