“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. Ps. 92:12-13.
What does it mean in the verse above, when it says the righteous will flourish, if they are planted in the house of the Lord? Many millions of believers attend services on Sundays…some consistently and some sporadically. They define their Christian faith by doing certain things…often a very few things. However, this is not what it means to be planted in the house of the Lord. You cannot be a minimalist and be someone who will flourish. You cannot afford to also simply be a survivalist. The House of the Lord, by definition, is the ‘place where God’s people live.’ That ‘place’ is in relationships…it is not a building. Many go inside a building but do not connect in loving, serving relationships with other believers. They come late to meetings, leave as soon as the service is over and ‘tick the box’ that they did what God wanted. This is ‘form without substance.’ If they stop to talk for a few moments, it is not to make plans to connect outside that building, but a polite token—small talk. They enjoy all the benefits but fail to get involved in serving the church family—in short, they live fundamentally, selfishly. They don’t pursue discipleship classes, volunteer to serve in various areas and yet want the preached word and the ministry without any real sacrifice. When the wind of adversity blows…they are out the door to another church building to start the same process there.
Are you planted? If you are…you are already flourishing!