Why don't you make like a tree and leaf?

May 12, 2009

Why don't you make like a tree and leaf?

Psalm 52

Debbie Kelly

Central Truth

A well-cultivated sense of the goodness of God leads to a bountiful harvest of inner peace.

But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God;
I continually trust in God’s loyal love.
(Psalm 52:8)

The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil^{1

52:1
Probably a musical or liturgical term} of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

1 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
2 Your tongue plots destruction,
    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.

5 But God will break you down forever;
    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous shall see and fear,
    and shall laugh at him, saying,
7 “See the man who would not make
    God his refuge,
but trusted in the abundance of his riches
    and sought refuge in his own destruction!”^{2

52:7
Or in his work of destruction}

8 But I am like a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
    in the presence of the godly.

Footnotes

[1] 52:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[2] 52:7 Or in his work of destruction

Here are a few fun facts for you: The olive tree is an evergreen with an attractive, gnarly branching pattern that grows well even in rocky countryside that is unsuitable for anything else. This is partly due to its enormous root system, which can stretch over 30 feet underground! It produces rich fruit that is good for eating, cooking, cosmetics, and medicine.
In this psalm, verse 8 compares one who continually trusts in God's loyal love—despite the circumstances—with a flourishing olive tree.
When this was written, Saul (the reigning King of Israel) was ruthlessly pursuing his servant David. Saul had become bitterly jealous of David because of his favor with God and the people. When Saul learned that David had received some food from the priests in the city of Nob, Saul had all of them put to death. Then he went on to wipe out the men, women, children, infants, and livestock. (1 Samuel 22:8-23) Can you imagine David's horror and guilt upon discovering this?
But from the very beginning of this psalm, it’s clear that David continues to trust and exalt the Lord. The first verse says, "Why do you boast about your evil plans, O powerful man? God’s loyal love protects me all day long!" David's root system was deep.
There have definitely been times in my life when the landscape of my life seemed unusually rocky. But God has graciously taught me a new response to those times. And when my choices are to fret and worry until I, and everyone around me, are miserable, or to "not be anxious about anything" (Philippians 4:6a) —well, there's not much of a choice to be made. When I trust in my good, pleasing, and perfect God despite the temporal situations around me, the fruit of His Spirit, including joy and peace, can flourish beyond belief.

1. Can God be relied on to be truly good as Psalm 52:9 states? Check out Romans 8:28.
2. How do you give your trust fully to God when terrible things are happening around you?
3. Have you expressed your confidence in God's loyal love by thanking Him during hard times?