I Samuel 21-22, I Chronicles 5, Psalm 52, and Acts 15
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.
Psalm 52:8
Here in the Midwest we don’t see many olive trees. People may buy them and keep them as an indoor specialty tree, but we do not have the climate to grow olive gardens in our yards. Olive trees require a Mediterranean like climate to survive. They need a long, hot summer and a cool, not frigid winter. Even in the right climate, an olive tree will only flourish when it receives plenty of direct sunshine and just the right amount of watering.
Isn’t this a picture of our life? We don’t survive well under harsh conditions that continue on and on. David wrote Psalm 52 as he was fleeing from Saul, who had betrayed him. He makes the point in this chapter that those who do not follow God will fail in the end. But, because he was trusting in God and keeping his eyes on Him, he will flourish like an olive tree in God’s house.
So many of us believers today are not flourishing, but struggling from day to day. We have allowed our eyes to be focused on the day to day problems and struggles rather than on God.
Trusting in God does not mean that life will be easy. But when we do put our daily trust in God, we can flourish like a well taken care of olive tree. Like an olive tree that is producing lots of fruit year after year.
Lets not live this life in survival mode, just getting by day to day. We have the choice to put our trust in Jesus every single minute of every single day. By keeping our eyes on Him, we will flourish like the olive tree in the house of God.