But you have made me as strong as a wild ox. You have anointed me with the finest oil. My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents. But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!” – Psalm 92:10-15 (NLT)
The problem with infertility is that we have limited time in which we can conceive. Our fertility declines with age, and as we get older our ability to be fertile, to produce fruit, declines.
But despite the reality that our physical fertility declines with age, we can take great encouragement in the fact that our ability to be spiritually fertile remains intact, no matter our age.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. – Psalm 92:14
What is spiritual fertility? It’s our ability to take part in the fruits of the Spirit and the spiritual gifts God has given every believer.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! – Galatians 5:22-23
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. – Romans 12:4-8
How is this possible? Let’s take a look at some of the clues in this passage:
Spiritually fertile people are like trees in the Lord’s house and in His courts.
“Trees are not usually planted in a house; but God’s trees are said to be planted in his house because it is from his grace, by his word and Spirit, that they receive all the sap and virtue that keep them alive and make them fruitful. They fix themselves to holy ordinances, take root in them, abide by them, put themselves under the divine protection, and bring forth all their fruits to God’s honour and glory.” – Matthew Henry Commentary
Do you see the key points there? In order to be spiritually fertile we must…
… recognize God as the source of the grace and virtue that keeps us alive.
… fix ourselves to Holy ordinances. We must be rooted in God’s Scriptures and keep His commands
… look to God for divine protection
… offer any fruit we produce to God for his honor and glory, giving Him the credit only He is due.
Spiritually fertile people know that God is their rock.
God is constant. He is true to His word and faithful to his promises. He is the definition of goodness and justice. So we can be confident in looking to Him for our strength foundation.
He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect; everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! – Deuteronomy 32:4
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. – 2 Samuel 22:2-3
So while we may mourn our loss of physical fertility as we age, let us rejoice in the fact that if we remain in God, our spiritual fertility will flourish.
Image by Hans Eiskonen via UnSplash. This post is linked up with several blog hops. You can see everywhere I link up here.
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