{"id":5603,"date":"2018-01-04T12:49:24","date_gmt":"2018-01-04T18:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/?p=5603"},"modified":"2018-01-04T12:49:24","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T18:49:24","slug":"families-flourish-like-palm-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2018\/01\/04\/families-flourish-like-palm-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"Families who Flourish like Palm Trees!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Steven Minor<\/strong><br \/>\nPsalm 92:12-15\u00a0uses a palm tree to teach us about righteousness.\u00a0It says,\u00a0\u201cThe righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,\u00a0he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.\u00a0Those who are planted in the house of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0shall flourish in the courts of our God.\u00a0They shall still bear fruit in old age;\u00a0they shall be fresh and flourishing,\u00a0to declare that the\u00a0Lord\u00a0is upright;\u00a0He is\u00a0my rock, and\u00a0there is\u00a0no unrighteousness in Him.\u201d\u00a0The palmist instructs us to grow and flourish! He calls us the righteous.\u00a0The\u00a0righteous are\u00a0the ones growing\u00a0<b>in\u00a0<\/b><b>C<\/b><b>hrist<\/b>\u00a0from the inside\u00a0out.\u00a0Palm\u00a0trees are\u00a0<i>monopodium<\/i><i>,<\/i>\u00a0meaning they grow from one trunk\u2013\u2013from the inside\u00a0out. These trees are classified in the flowering plant category.\u00a0There are hundreds of species of palm trees\u00a0that\u00a0are known for their beauty, fruit,\u00a0and resilience.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:576,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\nWhat lessons can we, as families, learn from the palm tree?\u00a0 First, we should grow in\u00a0<b>beauty<\/b>.\u00a0A palm tree has a large leafy crown.\u00a0When you\u00a0see a\u00a0picture\u00a0of a tropical vacation, a beautiful\u00a0palm\u00a0tree is going to be in that picture!\u00a0Its\u00a0beauty\u00a0somehow captivates\u00a0us.\u00a0Beauty to God is righteousness!\u00a0Jesus said, \u201cBlessed\u00a0are\u00a0those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,\u00a0for they shall be filled\u201d\u00a0(Matthew 5:6).\u00a0God looks on the inside,\u00a0\u201cBut the\u00a0Lord\u00a0said to Samuel, \u2018Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0does\u00a0not\u00a0see\u00a0as man sees;<span data-fontsize=\"12\">\u00a0<\/span>for man looks at the outward appearance, but the\u00a0Lord\u00a0looks at the heart\u2019\u201d (1 Samuel 16:7).\u00a0Is your\u00a0family\u2019s\u00a0beauty on the inside?<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:576,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\nSecond, we should\u00a0grow in\u00a0<b>s<\/b><b>trength<\/b>.\u00a0Palms are strong and stable!\u00a0Psalm 92:12b says\u00a0\u201clike a cedar in Lebanon.\u201d\u00a0They are mighty and strong.\u00a0Cedars are always green. We are\u00a0called to be\u00a0alive\u00a0and strong\u00a0in Christ!\u00a0When you watch hurricanes in the Caribbean or\u00a0south coast of Florida on the news, they usually will show a palm\u2013\u2013bent over to the ground.\u00a0Then the aftermath shows it standing upright!\u00a0Its\u00a0strength comes\u00a0from the inside.\u00a0Philippians 4:13\u00a0says,\u00a0\u201cI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.\u201d\u00a0Is your strength in Christ so when life tries to knock you over, you will bend but not break?<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:576,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\nThird we should grow in our\u00a0<b>relationship<\/b>\u00a0with God.\u00a0\u201cThose who are planted in the house of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0shall flourish in the courts of our God\u201d<i>\u00a0<\/i>(Psalm 92:13). Our families should be\u00a0planted in His house!\u00a0One does not just grow\u00a0strong and righteous\u00a0on his own.\u00a0He must\u00a0stay close to\u00a0Christ\u00a0and His church by purposefully growing in\u00a0his relationship with God!\u00a0\u00a0Is your family\u00a0planted in the house of the Lord, in His presence every day? If not, you\u00a0<b>will<\/b>\u00a0die!<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:576,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\nFourth, we must grow in\u00a0<b>fruit-b<\/b><b>earing<\/b>.\u00a0The coconut tree is extremely productive with a year-round bearing season. My understanding is that it\u2019s the only form of vegetation upon which one may find fruit throughout the year in all forms of development,\u00a0from bloom to mature nut, simultaneously.\u00a0It is said that the\u00a0owner 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.\u00a0Palm trees bear much fruit! Some bear coconuts.\u00a0Others bear dates, berries, jelly palm fruits,\u00a0and figs.\u00a0Jesus said, \u201cI am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.\u00a0Every branch in\u00a0Me\u00a0that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every\u00a0branch\u00a0that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit\u201d (John 15:1-2). Paul told the church at\u00a0Colosse\u00a0to\u00a0\u201c\u2026walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing\u00a0Him,\u00a0being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God\u201d\u00a0(Colossians 1:10).\u00a0\u201cBut his delight\u00a0is\u00a0in the law of the\u00a0Lord,\u00a0and in His law he meditates day and night.\u00a0He shall be like a tree\u00a0planted by the rivers of water,\u00a0that brings forth its fruit in its season,\u00a0whose leaf also shall not wither;\u00a0and whatever he does shall prosper\u201d (Psalm 1:2-3).\u00a0Is your family bearing fruit by mediating on God\u2019s Word and putting\u00a0their\u00a0faith into action?\u00a0\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:576,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\nFamilies who grow from the inside\u00a0out will be blessed in all they do!\u00a0\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:576,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559731&quot;:576,&quot;335559738&quot;:120,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:360}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Steven Minor Psalm 92:12-15\u00a0uses a palm tree to teach us about righteousness.\u00a0It says,\u00a0\u201cThe righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,\u00a0he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.\u00a0Those who are planted in the house of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0shall flourish in the courts of our God.\u00a0They shall still bear fruit in old age;\u00a0they shall be fresh and flourishing,\u00a0to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[46,52,66],"tags":[58,1257,1219,120,533,1221],"class_list":["post-5603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-children","category-family","category-think-excerpts","tag-children","tag-december-2012","tag-families-of-faith","tag-family","tag-relationship","tag-steve-minor","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Families who Flourish like Palm Trees! 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