Introduction

Many times in the Scriptures, the righteous is compared to a tree and the ungodly to a grass or chaff.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2: But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4: The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8: For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Psalm 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

But sometimes God allows the wicked to prosper. 

6: A brutish (senseless, mindless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. 7: When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:

And because of this, God's people like Asaph, struggle and ask why the wicked seems to prosper more than the righteous. 

Psalm 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3: For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

But we have to remember their prosperity are just temporal and material. They flourish but for a moment.

Psalm 73:16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17: Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18: Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

Psalm 92:7 When the wicked spring as the grass (weeds), and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:

The ungodly may flourish, but they are like grass or weeds, which flourish today but tomorrow are cast into the oven. They are like chaffs which the wind drives away.

But the righteous are not so!

Psalm 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

What a contrast in character and destiny! The prosperity of the ungodly is weak, worthlessness, and temporary. But not so with the righteous.

Psalm 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Palm Tree

The Palm tree to an Oriental is the queen of trees. They are ever green and they bear delicious fruit. They flourish in hot climates and sunny places. They are very durable and flexible. They can withstand violent storm and strong wind.  They bend, even to the ground but they do not break. After a storm, the palm tree straightens back up and it is even stronger than it was before the storm happened. No wonder they are called the "queen of trees."

Cedar in Lebanon

The righteous are like a cedar in Lebanon; where the best, tallest, largest, and strongest cedars grow. Lebanon trees are heavy and strong and are excellent building material. Solomon's temple was furnished with this timber. 

The righteous are like palm trees and cedar of Lebanon, in that they remain strong and they flourish during all seasons of life.

How did they get there?

How do the righteous become like a palm tree and cedar of Lebanon?

12: The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13: Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

1. Planted

A tree in order to grow and flourish must be planted. A seed cannot grow to its potential unless it is planted. Stored in a bag or sitting on top of the soil will not do it. Christ followers cannot grow to their potential unless they are planted in the house of God.

2. Life

A tree in order to grow and flourish, must have life. People do not plant dead trees. We plant trees that have life in it.

So before any person ever flourish, he or she must have life. If there is life there is growth, if there is growth there is life! God's life must be imparted to us before we can grow and flourish as Christians.

Have you been made alive? Do you breathe the breath of life of God? Do you have that incorruptible seed which lives and abides forever? God's people are a living people, and if we do not know the life of God we know not God at all. There must be a life in us.

3. Location

13: Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 

A tree in order to grow and flourish must be planted in the right location. Location! Location! Location! 

Clearly, in this passage, the will of God for His people to flourish. His will for those who have been born again, those who have been raised from the dead is to flourish, to prosper, and to grow. I believe that a truly born again believer has an inherent desire to flourish and to grow.

Now, the Bible says that the only way we will flourish and grow is by being planted in the house of the Lord. A believer who wants to flourish in life must remain planted in the house of the Lord.

The House of the LORD

13: Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

But, what is the House of God? In the Old Testament it was the temple, for David said in ...

Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

In the OT, the House of God was a fixed beautiful building that they go to every Sabbath day to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. But there is a major shift from Old Testament House of God to New Testament House of God. In the NT, God's House is no longer the building - it is us! It is you and me who have experienced the new birth, who have been born of water and of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20: And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21: In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

God wants to dwell in us and among us! God has chosen us to be His habitation. He wants us to be planted in His House.

A Christian planted in the House of God is just as absolutely necessary as a tomato plant planted in good soil. Neither the Christian nor the tomato plant will survive without being planted in the right location. To the tomato - good ground; to the Christian - the House of God.

You do not need to scream at a tomato plant to get tomatoes, all you need to do is plant it in rich soil and water it properly. Even so is the child of God, if he is planted in the House of God he will flourish and bear fruit.

4. Permanence

The word "planted" carries this idea of being firmly rooted. It implies that it is stationary or permanent. It is in a fixed location. When something is planted, it does not move around.

Colossians 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

A tree in order to flourish, must be rightly and firmly planted, so it begins to send out its roots, to drink in moisture, to get nutrients from the ground. Any tree that is constantly uprooted and moved from one place to another will not flourish. It may be a palm tree or Cedar tree, but unless it is firmly rooted and grounded it will not flourish. It must be planted and remain planted in one spot or location for it to flourish.

Many people, church attenders or not, do not prosper because they either have wrong attitude towards the house of God or they have neglected the house of God. The Israelites in the times of Haggai had many difficulties because they had neglected the house of the Lord.

Haggai 1:9 Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

How are we planted in the House of God?

We are planted in the House of God in two respects ...

1. By Regeneration

First, we are planted into the house of the Lord, into the courts of the Lord's house by the new birth. 

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

2. At Baptism

Secondly, we are planted into the house of the Lord at Baptism. In Baptism, we are openly and publicly confessing to the world that we are followers of Jesus and we identify with God's people and we ask to be admitted to their fellowship. In this act of public profession of faith, we are publicly brought and planted into the house.

Closing Exhortation

Do you want to flourish in life? Do you want to be like a palm tree that is ever green, bearing fruit, durable and flexible bending but do not break during storms of life? Do you want to have the strength of the cedar of Lebanon? Do you want to grow, take root, blossom and bear fruit? Do you want to bear fruit for the glory of God and to bless others through our fruit?

You must be planted in the House of God. There is no other way. There is no short cut. If we want to flourish in our Christian life we must be planted and remain planted in the House of the Lord. Having been planted in the house of the Lord by regeneration and at baptism, you and I must remain planted. You and I must participate in the life and ministry of the house of God.

14: They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 15: To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

They will still bear fruit in old age. People who are planted do not just attend church but they are fruitful. Their life is making a difference for the kingdom of God. They understand that God has called them, not just to be faithful church attenders but to be fruitful followers of Jesus Christ.

John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

The Father is glorified when you and I bear much fruit, showing ourselves to be His disciples.

AMEN!