A LONG AND PRODUCTIVE LIVE FOR THE LORD

Proclamation:

“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 no wickedness in Him.’”  Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV)

Explanation:

Although there is some debate about it, the words of this psalm appear to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here the righteous are compared to a tree, firm and strong, not like the grass which is weak, bendable, and easily cut down, to which the wicked are compared. (Psalm 92:7 and Psalm 37:1-2)  The righteous will flourish in God’s garden and be rooted in Christ.  They will be productive servants for The Lord even in their old age.  The palm tree is symbolic of victory and the cedar tree is symbolic of strength and seriousness.

Application:

Believers who follow The Word of God and maintain a close relationship with The Lord God will grow strong and their efforts will be productive, and they will continue to bear fruit even into their old age. (Psalm 1:3 and Psalm 92:12-14)  Those who walk in fellowship with The Lord will be powerful men and women of God.  Their lives will be an example to others as they let their light shine.  They will be a blessing to others and they themselves will also be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)  By their good works The Lord God will be glorified.

DO NOT FORSAKE ME WHEN I AM OLD AND GREY

Proclamation:

"Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, My God, until I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come."  Psalms 71:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words are believed by most Bible scholars to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This request for The Lord God not to forsake him when he is old and weak is stated earlier in this psalm (Psalm 71:9) but here he repeats it and offers a reason along with the request.  The psalmist stated that he wanted to tell all who would listen about the righteous deeds and mighty acts of God. (Psalm 71:15-16)  He stated that God had taught him things since the days of his youth. (Psalm 71:17)  Now he was asking God not to forsake him and to spare him until he had declared God’s power and mighty acts to the next generation. 

Application:

Do not discard or disregard the "seasoned" senior saints, there is a lot of wisdom tied up in all those years that could be useful to the believers of the world.  For we who are old have seen, and experienced, and learned a lot during our Christian walk that could benefit the younger generations.  We can truly testify, based upon our trials and tribulations, about the strength and power of The Lord, and what He has done in our lives.  To the young I say, listen when the elderly speak, you just may learn something.  We have been through more than you can imagine.  God is not through with us old folks yet, and with His help there is still some kingdom building work for us to do, including teaching the young.  To the old I say, share what you have learned with the younger generations, with your children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and anyone’s child who will listen.  He has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others.  God has left us here among the living because our work here is not done.  That is why we can pray this old man's prayer.  We need to praise Him for all that He has done. (Psalm 71:14)  We need to pray for His help to guide our tongue as we speak to the younger generations as well as to all others.

NOW WHEN I AM OLD AND GREY

Proclamation:

"Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, My God, until I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come."  Psalms 71:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words are believed to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David stated that he wanted to tell all who would listen about the righteous deeds and mighty acts of God. (Psalm 71:15-16)  He stated that God had taught him things since the days of his youth. (Psalm 71:17)  Now he was asking God not to forsake him and to spare him until he had declared God’s power and mighty acts to the next generation.

Application:

Do not discard or disregard the "seasoned" senior saints, there is a lot of wisdom tied up in all those years that could be useful to the believers of the world.  For we who are old have seen, and experienced, and learned a lot during our Christian walk that could benefit the younger generations.  We can truly testify, based upon our trials and tribulations, about the strength and power of The Lord, and what He has done in our lives.  To the young I say, listen when the elderly speak, you just may learn something.  God is not through with us old folks yet, and with His help there is still some kingdom building work for us to do.  To the old I say, share what you have learned with the younger generations, with your children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and anyone’s child who will listen.  He has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others.  God has left us here among the living because work is not done.  That is why we can pray this old man's prayer.  We need to praise Him for all that He has done and we need His help to guide our tongue as we speak to the younger generations.

The Righteous Live Long And Are Still Productive

"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 no wickedness in Him."  Psalms 92:12-15 (NIV)

The unknown human author of this psalm states that the righteous will flourish under God's care.  He compares them to trees, palm trees and cedars of Lebanon, which live for a long time; as opposed to the wicked and the evil doers which he describes as short lived grass that will be destroyed. (Psalms 92:7)  The righteous believers will even still be productive in their old age and they will continue to praise The Lord.

No one wants to live to be a ripe old age if they are not going to be functional at that age.  The righteous believers who maintain a close relationship with The Lord will be blessed to enjoy long and productive lives. (Psalms 92:13)  Believers know that it is good to praise The Lord.  The righteous believers praise Him daily, in the morning and in the evening. (Psalms 92:1-2)  They are blessed in a special way for doing so. (Psalms 92:10)  So, to be blessed in a special way, to live long, to remain strong, to be productive, and to prosper, we should be like the righteous believers and praise The Lord every morning and every evening.