STILL GREEN AND FRUITFUL
Psalms 92:12-15 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. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is not wickedness in him.”
The world often sees Christians as living for the, “Sweet by and by.” Then they add, “They are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” They couldn’t be more wrong! Our hope is not in just for after life on earth is done, but it is for the here and now too. When we ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins, and to come into our heart, we get the best deal going. And one of the best parts about it is we can start enjoying all the blessings the Lord wants to give us right then and there. Whether a person says that they believe in God or not everyone feels guilty at one time or another. God has put in everyone a sense of guilt when we say or do something wrong. We even see it in little children. When they know they have done something wrong, the first thing they do is look around to see if anyone is watching. While we may ignore the feeling and keep on doing what is wrong the guilt remains. Because of it people will get better or become hardened and get worse. The world is full of people like this. All we have to do is get to know them and sooner or later it will show itself.
When a person becomes a Christian they don’t become instantly perfect, but instantly become forgiven in God’s eyes. While God may not literally forget that we have ever sinned, he will never bring they up again or treat us as if we had ever sinned. It will be as if we lived a righteous holy life all along. Is it fair? Maybe not in the eyes of the world, but because Jesus went to Calvary’s cross and bore the price for our sinfulness God is just in forgiving and forgetting our sins. And because guilt helps us to come to repentance, there is no longer any need for guilt. Jesus has set us free of our obligation to be punished for our sins and also our guilt. Christians can live a life free of the burden of guilt here and now in our life on earth as well as in heaven. And while we may not forget all our sins now, when we get to heaven the Bible tells us that the former things will never come to mind. All that will be left for us to do is live a righteous holy life and enjoy praising Jesus for all eternity. Not only has our guilt been removed, but a hope for God’s blessings fills us. Because we have been reconciled with God through Jesus, he is able to bless us in ways we never dreamed possible. God can’t reward us as long as we are in rebellion with him or we would never get right with him. So when we ask Jesus to become our Lord and Savior, there is nothing stopping God from even giving us our hearts desires. And the exciting thing is that he will do this as long as we continue to love and trust in Jesus. This is why the sooner we become a Christian the better off we are.
I find today's verse not only exciting, but it is only a confirmation as to what I am experiencing even now that I am in 69. While my body is certainly showing its age, my spirit is still fresh and green as the day I received Jesus into my heart and life. And I believe the Lord is still producing fruit in and through me. I am within a few days of finishing up this yearly devotional of walking through the Bible, elaborating on the great doctrinal truths God has given us. I am about a third of the way of finishing up the Bible Study that completes my Bible Commentary. My heart's desire is that the Holy Spirit will use these works along with the other books that I have written and even the life that I have lived to inspire my loved one's, grandchildren, all my descendants and whoever may take notice of them, to love and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I pray God will keep my fruit fresh and green for as long as there are people who need Jesus.
Jesus is worthy of having a beautiful bride and a glorious kingdom. He gave up so much for us. The least we can do for him is to love and obey him to our best ability. Love is a gift that keeps on giving. There has never been love so freely given, and so wonderful as that of Jesus. As you enjoy your life and relationship in Jesus now, don’t forget to praise and thank him often!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Thank you for all you have done and plan to do for us. You are a great and wonderful God and Savior. We love you Jesus.
