Cornerstone Church of Knoxville

1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
 to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
 and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

5 How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:
7 that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
9 For behold, your enemies, O Lord,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.

10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

The Psalmist here declares that the Lord is worthy of praise, that this is self-evident in what He has done and for who He is.

He goes on to contrast the fool, the stupid man, and wicked ones with the righteous. He does so mainly by employing the analogy of two kinds of plants. The foolish are like grass, they are numerous, quick to sprout, but equally quick to fade. They deny God's Lordship and do not see Him as majestic and worthy of praise.

The righteous on the other hand are like trees. In contrast to grasses, they continually grow. But note the specific place in which they grow...the courts of God. In the Lord's presence they are full of nutritious and life-bearing sap, they are still green and able to produce fruit even in old age! This psalm reminded me of Jesus' words in John 15, that He is the vine and we are branches, if we abide in Him, we can bear fruit. But apart from Him, we can do nothing.

So...have you noticed a spiritual dryness? Are you weary and find yourself unfruitful? Do you lack vigor and joy day-to-day? Well, here's another question if you say yes to any of the previous ones...where are you seeking to draw your energy from? Where are you sending out your proverbial roots for sustenance? Is it in God; His promises and the Good News of Jesus' Gospel? Or is it elsewhere?

If you wonder how you can, like the tree in this psalm, be in the presence of God...it is only through the substitutionary atonement provided by Jesus Christ. He hung on the cross, enduring the full wrath of God the Father's righteous anger against the sins of all those who turn and trust in Christ alone. Through Jesus, and His intermediary work on our behalf, we can come into God's presence and receive mercy and strength instead of judgment. Let this truth fill your branches with strength today, and along with me, praise our gracious God as we live for Him!