Growing Like A Weed? No. Like a tree.

Today a cool morning reminded me of the soon coming fall.  In New England where I went to college, the fall comes so quickly the leaves change seemingly overnight into the canopies of red, yellow, and orange.  The leaves fall and the tree moves into winter repeating their patterns for years on end.  The trees stand strong in the winter winds and shoulder in their branches the heavy snow and ice.  Sometimes weaker branches break under the weight but the healthy trees will soon send out shoots for next year's leaves. 

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. Psalm 92:12-13 (NIV)

One type of palm tree for the land of Israel is the Judean date palm which is known for its food, shade and shelter.  In fact, recently a preserved seed of the date palm from two thousand years ago from the digs of King Herod's palace on Mount Masada, was recovered, planted and now is growing. (SFGate.com)  The tree would grow in the desert and unlike the grasses which dried up; in drought the palm would continue to grow.  In the times of the Bible, owners of fine homes would plant trees in the courtyard.  In the gospel of John, Nathaniel is told by Jesus he saw him sitting under the fig tree, a common place for prayer.  The cedars of Lebanon were known for the fine, straight, wood with a wonderful scent were used for the wood needed in palaces and temples. 

In Psalm 1, those who do not sit, stand, or walk with sinners and meditate upon the Word of God are like trees which are planted by streams of water.  In both cases, the word planted is used.  These trees do not grow wild or get there by wind-carried seeds.  They are planted as a course of action so the owner will receive the fruit from the trees in their season.  If you have ever planted a garden of flowers you try to have them blooming throughout the season so as to have something to enjoy.  God knows when and what fruit we will produce and he is patient.  The picture of a tree for the righteous is compared to the grasses of the wicked.  They will dry up and blow away, but the trees will endure even in harsh times of drought.  A mushroom can sprout almost overnight but has no roots.  Trees like the cedars can withstand the winds on the mountain tops of Lebanon because the wood is straight and strong and deep rooted. 

Keep growing everyone, slow and steady and strong.