By Steven Minor
Psalm 92:12-15 uses a palm tree to teach us about righteousness. It says, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” The palmist instructs us to grow and flourish! He calls us the righteous. The righteous are the ones growing in Christ from the inside out. Palm trees are monopodium, meaning they grow from one trunk––from the inside out. These trees are classified in the flowering plant category. There are hundreds of species of palm trees that are known for their beauty, fruit, and resilience. 
What lessons can we, as families, learn from the palm tree?  First, we should grow in beauty. A palm tree has a large leafy crown. When you see a picture of a tropical vacation, a beautiful palm tree is going to be in that picture! Its beauty somehow captivates us. Beauty to God is righteousness! Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). God looks on the inside, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7). Is your family’s beauty on the inside? 
Second, we should grow in strength. Palms are strong and stable! Psalm 92:12b says “like a cedar in Lebanon.” They are mighty and strong. Cedars are always green. We are called to be alive and strong in Christ! When you watch hurricanes in the Caribbean or south coast of Florida on the news, they usually will show a palm––bent over to the ground. Then the aftermath shows it standing upright! Its strength comes from the inside. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Is your strength in Christ so when life tries to knock you over, you will bend but not break? 
Third we should grow in our relationship with God. “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God” (Psalm 92:13). Our families should be planted in His house! One does not just grow strong and righteous on his own. He must stay close to Christ and His church by purposefully growing in his relationship with God!  Is your family planted in the house of the Lord, in His presence every day? If not, you will die! 
Fourth, we must grow in fruit-bearing. The coconut tree is extremely productive with a year-round bearing season. My understanding is that it’s the only form of vegetation upon which one may find fruit throughout the year in all forms of development, from bloom to mature nut, simultaneously. It is said that the owner of a coconut tree can go to it at almost any time with the expectation of receiving good fruit. He can also observe younger nuts that will be ready to harvest later. Palm trees bear much fruit! Some bear coconuts. Others bear dates, berries, jelly palm fruits, and figs. Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2). Paul told the church at Colosse to “…walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:2-3). Is your family bearing fruit by mediating on God’s Word and putting their faith into action?   
Families who grow from the inside out will be blessed in all they do!