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.
Psalm
92:12-14 NLT
A sixty-year-old plum tree with gnarled, twisted trunk and branches stands alone in the back yard. Though aged and ugly, it still produces lovely soft white flowers in early spring. Its sweet fruit tastes exquisite in late July. This Santa Rosa plum makes the best juice ever to be desired.
A professional landscaper might decide the tree has seen its better days when he considers the unattractive, half-rotten trunk or the broken branches in desperate need of pruning. He might decide to replace the ancient tree with a straight, well-shaped seedling. But a pastoral artist would value the challenge to paint the scarred tree on canvas just as it is—old but beautiful and fruitful.
