How many of you want to flourish in the things of God? To flourish means to simply grow and develop successfully. When we are rooted in Christ, the result is to flourish. There are many examples in the Bible that talk about flourishing and thriving in the Lord and I wanted to zoom in on one particular example - the Olive Tree. This example is found in Psalm 52:8 which says “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.”
I want to discuss the olive tree for a moment and why this is so important to take note of. When doing my research I found some interesting facts about olive trees. They can live for a very long time as the wood from the olive tree is resistant to decay and they are extremely resilient. The olive tree is a very fruitful tree and can produce up to 40 kilograms of olives per year. Even in seasons of drought, the olive tree still thrives as it does not rely so much on water. It also has the ability to regenerate which means it’s an indestructible tree.
When seeing all of these facts, it’s no wonder the Lord wants us to flourish like the olive tree. He wants us to be indestructible, fruitful and to live a long life! He wants us to remain strong in Him, and be rooted in Him. Colossians 2:7 says “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
When our lives are rooted in the Word of God, the result is to thrive and flourish. We remain strong because we are founded on the Rock and not the sand! So when the storms of life come, we will stand strong because we are founded on the unshakable Word of God (Matthew 7:24-27). In your prayer time, declare that you are like an Olive tree thriving in the house of God. Declare that you are indestructible, fruitful and bearing fruit in old age! Declare that even in times of drought, you remain fruitful because you remain in the Vine - which is Christ! (John 15:7). When you begin to declare this over your life, the Word of God will work for you because it’s alive and active! (Hebrews 4:12)
