Old Trees

still bearing fruit

Scripture Reading: Psalm 92

This Psalm begins with an outpouring of praise to the Lord for His faithfulness and His steadfast love. The Psalmist finds himself gladdened by the works of God. The Psalm ends with a reflection on the flourishing of the righteous life.

Lori McKenna sings a song called “People Get Old.” The chorus has in it these lines:

Houses need paint, winters bring snow…

Time is a thief, pain is a gift

The past is the past, it is what it is

You live long enough, people get old…

There is some simple wisdom in saying, “You live long enough, people get old.” For those who have lived long enough, you know that with age comes decline, sometimes mentally but always, in some form, physically. Here in this text, the Psalmist also writes about getting old, but not about the declension it brings. In verse 14 he claims the righteous, “still bear fruit in old age…”

We can do what we can do to stave off physical decline. Eat right, exercise, get rest…Those are all good things. They help but they don’t come with any guarantee of deliverance from the maladies of aging. But a righteous life does have a promise attached to it. You can still be fruitful in your old age.