Palm Trees in God's House

The righteous flourish like the palm tree. (Psalm 92:12)

In the fall of 2004 a series of hurricanes pounded the Florida coast. Newscasts reported terrifying winds, houses destroyed, people killed, and billions of dollars in damage. To emphasize the ferocity of the storms, TV cameras inevitably zoomed in on the shoreline as waves peaked to immeasurable heights and palm trees flexed to the ground.

Always standing, sometimes bending, rarely breaking, these trees have been a source of amazement for thousands of years. The psalmist wrote that we, as believers in God, are like the palm tree. Why this metaphorical claim?

Palms grow all over the world and in thousands of varieties. They produce fruit for countless years and remain green, in season and out. Some grow tall and stately, others grow vine-like and seemingly unnoticed but exceedingly strong. Most of all, palms are difficult to upend - there they stand, quietly drinking life-giving water. Planted in the courts of the Lord, the psalmist says, the righteous flourish like the palm.

Strong, fruit-producing, green - in season and out. I’m not there yet. Are you? The psalmist says we will be. When hurricanes assault our lives, (and they will!) we too will remain standing if our roots go down to drink living water and our eyes look up to him.

Prayer: O Most High, despite pounding storms may we flourish in your courts.

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Words of Hope