Growing in Christ

Today was our all women's Sunday school class at church. We do this once a year and have several women share about how God is at work in their lives; these testimonies have a common thread which is our theme. This year I am president of the women's council and so it fell to me to give the closing comments and "pull it all together". I wrote it out and read it to Honey and he said I needed to post it here. So I will.

The theme was Growing in Christ and the them verses were Psalm 92:12-15

12 "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, 'The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'"

So, here you go (and thanks to Kim Potter, A New Thing Ministries, for the info on the palm tree!)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Palm trees are found in hot places.

Nutrients are found, in most trees, just below the bark. Not so with the palm tree, its nutrients are found much, much deeper. Its nutrients are found in the heart of the tree.

The palm tree bends, but it won't break. Monsoon storms and hurricanes can snap most trees under the pressure of the winds but not the palm tree. It will bend all the way to the ground, even for long periods of time, yet when the storm is over it will stand back up again - stronger than before. The palm actually grows stronger every time it must bend under the pressure of a storm.

The palm trees depth exceeds its height. While the roots of other trees go a few feet under - the roots of a palm go deep, in search of water


I am a child of Christian parents; a covenant child who can actually say that I do not remember a time when I didn’t believe that the only way to God was through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.

I had a fun childhood. An active youth. Loved college and I was single until I was 30 which allowed for many adventures in the USA and abroad. All those years I was involved in church and ministry. In some ways I turned my nose up at those who said “growth comes through suffering”. I was spending time with God every day (almost) and really thought that the spiritual life was a cake walk.


We lost our first child to an ectopic pregnancy in 2002. That was my first real gut puncher. In the seven years that have followed, my faith has been challenged by heartbreak and renewed by His faithfulness. I have now been in hot places. I have learned I am blessed to have Truth planted deep into my heart. I have faced many a challenge – some have bent me all the way to the ground – to my knees (as a matter of fact) and I have been lifted back to my feet - stronger.

I trusted God as a child. I believed in Jesus while growing up. With each trial He has revealed Himself to me more deeply and I am growing to KNOW God. My roots are deeper. My green is becoming a truer shade and, in moments, I flourish.

The truth is, it’s in loneliness and sadness that we learn He is the friend who stays closer than a brother.

Trouble brings transformation as we realize that calling out to the Lord must become routine.

With trials comes depth and we learn that God’s omnipresence is our constant strength and comfort. We are not the ones who have to make it all work.

And after years of walking with the Lord and trusting Him through the loss of a mate or the sight in one eye, we have the privilege of staying green and fresh. Those years are what allow us (as our theme verse says) to STILL bear fruit in our old age.

One might say that a loving God would not use pain to cause growth. In her book Passion and Purity, Elizabeth Elliott writes, ““Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. That was the proof of His love – that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary’s cross, though “legions of angels” might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us – not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process.”

All of this so that “when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” Psalm 92 is a hymn of thanks and praise to God. Worship is the focus. The faithful are able to look forward to an eternity in His presence , singing His praise. Saying, . . .

Psalm 92
1 It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
5 How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!
6 The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.
8 But you, O LORD, are exalted forever.
9 For surely your enemies, O LORD, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."