Planted For Growth
Look at what the Word says in Psalms 92:13-15,“Those who are planted in the house of the LordShall 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…” What does it mean to be planted? To plant is simply to put into the ground or into soil so that it will grow.We know through implication here that it matters that the soil and conditions of the ground must also be good for nourishment. To be planted means to grow roots into the ground and to get set somewhere meant to be stayed there. Planted here is a verb. It denotes action. Christians must choose to be planted and stay planted in the place God called them to be if they expect to truly flourish in life.
What does it mean to bear fruit? It means to see provision where you need provision, to walk in peace and joy, to have strength where you never did before, to have health in your body, and to walk in all the other wonderful promises of God in your life.
I remember one time we decided to put a little plant in a really shallow antique vessel of sorts, actually it was a cast iron ladle that was hung from our porch. At first it was really pretty, something you could have seen on Pinterest. But, because it was too shallow, it never had a place to establish any roots and the wind would knock against it, plus animals would interfere with it, and it ended up succumbing to the opposition so to speak. Christians who won’t let roots be established by being planted where God has called them will always eventually succumb to the opposition. What was once beautiful and full of potential will become dried up and unable to produce anything good.
Instead, Christians are meant to bear fruit into old age, staying fresh in their walk with God, always in a place where they can grow. And I love what verse 15 says, it matters so that we can declare the uprightness, or goodness of the Lord. That dead plant never blessed anybody. But a plant that’s alive…oh there’s a huge draw to that! Think about the agricultural industry, greenhouses, florists, and nurseries. People are drawn to living, beautiful, flourishing plants. Naturally, people spend a lot of money for these things.
Most of us are familiar with John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” But notice the verse right before it, John 10:9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” What is the thief trying to steal? He’s trying to steal your pasture, not just with Jesus in Heaven, but the pasture of your local church and pastor. What this means here is that the devil is after our life-giving feeding. He’s out to remove you from the safety and pasture of the Lord, and one of the main ways he will do that is by convincing you to be uprooted from the place God has called you to be.
Matthew 9:36 says, “But when He (Jesus) saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. The heart of the Lord is for you to find pasture and to be planted there so that you will grow and flourish, even into old age. Look at 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” Let’s be doers of the Word, amen?!
Be Blessed,
Pastor Renée
