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How Great Are Your Works
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.
92 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
How great are your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep!
The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:
that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
but you, O LORD, are on high forever.
For behold, your enemies, O LORD,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.
But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the LORD;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
to declare that the LORD is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
(ESV)
Psalm 92 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green,
Psalms 92:12-14 NASB
Fruitfulness. This is the plan God has for our lives. This is why Jesus sacrificed Himself. This is why the Holy Spirit was sent. Just like the cedar of Lebanon towered into the sky and the fig tree bore fruit, we are expected to do the same. This analogy is constant in Scripture.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psalms 1:3 NASB
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
John 15:8 NASB
Jesus, the One who died for us also has an expectation for our lives. He holds us to a high standard of proving ourselves to be His disciples. This is not a works-based Gospel, but rather, a result of a healthy plant. A tree that has sunk its roots into fertile soil where it finds food and water will naturally produce an abundance of fruit. If this is not the case, something is wrong and it must be investigated.
Many years ago, I planted three new trees in my yard. I watered them daily and fertilized them in the spring and fall. After several years of not growing an inch, they suddenly died. What was discovered underneath was rocky soil. Furthermore, when I tested the soil, the pH was way off. Had I put more care into ensuring a good foundation for these trees, they most likely would have flourished. Instead, I was negligent in trying to plant them quickly and, in the end, their life was wasted.
In the same way, our spiritual lives depend on the Holy Spirit each day. If we do not root ourselves in Jesus, it will show… and yes, people will notice. So, how do we know if we are rooted in Christ?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NASB
This is the critical question at hand. Does your life produce the fruit of the Spirit? Do you embody these characteristics? Even more on point, what would other believers say about the fruit in your life? Do you leave a path of pride, turmoil, and jealousy or does your life produce the fruit listed above? The Bible is clear on this matter. There are many today who strut around thinking they are producing good fruit. The truth is, the only “fruit” they are actually producing are dingleberries.