We Are Flourishing | Qualities of Women Who Trust Jesus

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.”
-Psalm 92:12-13

From the moment we trust in Jesus, we gain a new identity with its own set of characteristics. The person with a short fuse now possesses patience in Christ. The fearful person now trusts. The indulgent one now has self-control. These and variety of other traits belong to the children of God simply because we belong to him. Of course, none of us has mastered these, but His word assures us that he is fertilizing, watering and pruning our hearts to cultivate evidence of his character inside us. These qualities are inescapable pieces of our new selves, seeds ready to grow, not because of anything we have done, but because of the gift of grace (Ephesians 2). In him, we are different than we were apart from him; the old is passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Praise God!

One of the qualities of our new identity is this:

We are flourishing.

I know, it doesn’t always look like we are, but we are. YOU are. You exist to flourish, Sister. Isn’t this what faith is? Believing without seeing. Trusting that what God speaks will happen, even if imperceptible at first.

He’s already spoken words about us, now our part is to believe him. “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree…”

I have to admit that I spent years of my life misunderstanding verses like this one. The books of Psalms and Proverbs are full of beautiful passages about the righteous. For a long time, I read those words and felt a deep sense of sadness, thinking I could never be counted as one of those people. I interpreted the righteous ones to be the people who had a steady record of good behavior, the people who didn’t give in to temptation and make the same mistakes over and over, the people who didn’t mess things up and who didn’t disappoint God. The worthy ones.

But that’s not who the righteous are in scripture. The righteous are not sinless, they are simply dependent. They don’t pretend they’re perfect or self-sufficient. Instead, they recognize the reality of their desperate need for God, and humbly, they ask for and accept his help.

We see this in Abraham’s life, who’s faith— not his good behavior— was what made him righteous (Genesis 15:6).

We see it in King David, who was favored by God and raised to leadership despite his sin issues (Acts 13:22).

We see it in Tamar and Rahab, who had shameful pasts by the world’s standards but were honored to have their names listed in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:3-5)

And I don’t have time to go into Moses, Joseph, Sarah, Mary Magdalene, and so many others, who messed up significantly but were changed significantly by the mercy and love of God. As a result, they lived impactful lives that affected the world around them. They flourished.

What is the common thread with all of these people? It’s the same thread that has woven its way through centuries to connect you and me. We are people who depend on God. We acknowledge our reliance on his mercy and strength. We realize that apart from him, we can do nothing (John 15:1-5). When those seeds of His character grow inside us and good fruit appears, we understand that it’s because of His hand at work— not our hand. By faith and by personal experience we know that our fruitfulness comes from Him (Hosea 14:8).

As you open your journal today, take a moment to reflect on the connection between dependence on God and living a fruitful, flourishing life. What would a flourishing life look like for you? What does dependence on God look like for you? What could it look like? Are you spinning your wheels trying to flourish on your own?

For the ones who recognize our dependence on God, for the ones who trust Jesus and rely on the power of His Spirit, we are the righteous ones of Psalm 92. We are flourishing!

P.S.

—> Desiring God has a great article called Am I Righteous Enough to Enjoy the Promises in the Psalms.

—> For further study, read Hosea 14 and look for themes of flourishing and dependence vs. sinlessness.

For Your Journal

Find It:

In this portion of your journal, write out a Bible verse. You can find a verse that fits a current life situation or use the one we used in today’s devotion.

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.” — Psalm 92:12-13

Fix It:

In this portion of your journal, pull out a few key words from the verse you chose above, or summarize the verse in your own words. Write it in pretty lettering or sketch something that will help you visualize the meaning of the verse and fix it in your mind. Repeat these words to yourself throughout the week to remind you of the truth contained in the scripture. Here are some options:

righteous ≠ sinless

Flourish like a palm

Dependence first

Feel It:

In this portion of your journal, write out a prayer. The goal is to absorb the meaning of the Bible passage and let it take root in your heart. Ask the Lord to let his word change you by the power of his Spirit. Surrender any areas of your life that you are trying to control.

Lord, understanding the reality of my dependence on you is a life-long process. I so easily slip into a mindset of independence and self-sufficiency. Help me learn what it is to live a flourishing life that organically grows from dependence on you— not a life built on a worldly, me-centered definition of personal success. Please give me assurance that I am yours, righteous and flourishing, and let that confidence fuel me today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.