THE LESSON FROM THE PALM TREE
The
righteous will flourish like a palm tree …” Psalm 92:12
Scenes including palm trees often
evoke images of carefree relaxing – hence Hawaii’s frequent use of palm trees
in their ads to promote tourism.
However, those of us have had a palm tree as an ornamental plant in our
yard; definitely do NOT see anything romantic about them! IT is a dirty tree – scattering seeds and
fronds and needing periodic trimming (No mean feat when they reach their mature
height of 60 to 75 feet and any slight breeze will cause them to begin
swaying!) But maybe worst of all is
although you can cut it down but you cannot kill it by doing so! The nutrients that most trees need to
survive can be found just below the bark; so when you cut them, they die. But NOT the palm tree, its life comes from
its heart so it thrives even under attack.
Maybe
that is why the psalmist stated: “The
righteous will flourish like a palm tree …” as they will stand tall and
live long. Further, perhaps the
psalmist knew what I didn’t know when I endeavored to chop one down, the depth
of its roots often exceeds its height, while the roots of the average tree go a
few feet under, the roots of the palm tree go deep in the search of water. Maybe also a message for us to strive for
the “Living Water” He offers us..
Do we at
times we let surface issues derail us and then lament our troubles and ask “Why
me?” Maybe if we were more like the
palm searching deeper, we would ask: “What do You want me to learn, Lord?” and
then trust Him to help to develop deep roots and we, too, would flourish. Amen.