Palm Trees And Cedars

Psalm 92

If you have ever looked around and wondered why many wicked and evil people seem to have no problems in their life and are prospering, while those who follow the Lord are struggling, you are in good company.  Many of the psalms address this, including our psalm today. As our psalmist draws closer to the Lord, He opens his eyes to see the reality of the way things truly are, not the way things look from our human perspective.

As our psalm opens, we are encouraged to give praise to the Lord, both in the morning and the evening (vs 1-2).  God wants us to walk in His presence and enjoy His company all the day long. Having a prayer and Bible time in the morning is good, the same with saying some prayers at bedtime.  How about all those hours in between? God wants our whole life to be in constant communion with Him, walking and talking with Him all the day through. One way to keep us walking with the Lord throughout each day is to regularly recall His provisions for us.  When we are in circumstances where there is seemingly no reason to give thanks we can remember His faithfulness (vs 1-5).

Our psalmist now recalls the question that so many believers have pondered, and that is why the wicked, those who oppose God and His ways, seem to prosper, while those who live righteously struggle so.  This world is not all there is, and the psalmist realizes this (vs 6-11). The wicked seem to be prospering and flourishing now, but their end is coming.  If they refuse to turn to the Lord, He will destroy them. It is not the Lord’s desire that anyone perish because they refuse to turn to Him.  He wishes all to be saved (II Peter 3:9). Unfortunately not everyone turns to the Lord Jesus for salvation. During this life their way may seem to prosper, but God has promised that wickedness will be destroyed.

In contrast, those who have turned to the Lord for salvation and who maintain a close relationship with Him will flourish.  Again, it may not appear so from the world’s perspective. As believers, though, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, and the Lord has promised to be with us through any trial. Though the world may batter the Christian, our end is the opposite of the wicked.

Our psalm today describes believers like two types of trees that were very familiar to those living the Holy Land, both at that time and today - the palm tree and the cedar tree (vs 12).  Trees generally live many years, and the palm tree is no exception. We’ve all seen palm trees, either actually or in photos, on sandy beaches along the oceanfront. They are able to stand against the ocean storms, including hurricanes of immense strength.  To flourish like a palm tree is to stand tall and live long. There are cedars in the Holy Land, and especially to the north in Lebanon, where they are the national tree. Cedars are solid, strong, and immovable. Believers, as well, should be upright, strong, and unmoved by the winds of circumstance.  These trees stand strong and steady, despite conditions around them. That’s the way we are to be for the Lord, palm trees and cedars, flourishing by the courts of God (vs 13).

Finally, as our psalmist closes up our passage, he urges his listeners to continue bearing fruit for God into old age (vs 14).  God wants us to be bearing fruit for Him as long as we live, regardless of our age. There is no retirement from serving the Lord.  Our type of service may vary and change with age, but there is still always something we can do for Him. As you read through the Bible, you see many servants of God working and serving Him well into their senior years - Moses, Abraham, and Caleb just to name a few.  None of them said it was time to quit because they were over 100! They didn’t go seeking out the nearest rocking chair!

In closing, don’t get discouraged when it looks like wicked people have it made. God will deal with them if they don’t repent. Stay true to Him, standing firm like a tree, bearing fruit to the end.