04-Apr-2026

I had a really nice devotional this morning. I was reading Psalmm 92 and verses 12-15 stood out to me. "The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord. They thrive in the courts of God. They will still bear fruit in their old age, healthy and green. To declare: The Lord is just. He is my rock. There is no unrighteousness in Him." The line - "they STILL bear fruit in their old age" struck out to me and caused me to consider the life I am living. Am I truly being being righteous? Will I one day still bear fruit in my old age? This brings to mind Jon Tyson's email from a few weeks ago where he said we shouldn't just pursue faithfulness but fruitfulness. It is helpful to think about the fruitfulness we might be growing or will grow in the future.

What I think most crystallized in my mind was that old age is both very far away and very close. It is far in that I still have the majority of my life to live to get there. More than doubling age right now. In many ways my life feels as though it is only starting now so old age definitely seems far off! Yet it is close. I don't know which decisions will shape how I will be one day. Continuing any of my destructive habits will just snowball into something big that would be even harder to shake then. If I want to bear fruit in my old age, something has to change now. Not in a few years or not when the kids are older or whatever. But now. To truly confront and mortify the things that would steal fruitfulness from my life in my old age. Particularly because I've seen so many Christian leaders have big character failures in their lives. Very public ones. And I am afraid that I could be one of them too. Have a character failure and do untold hurt to my family and friends.

Now that is a very fear oriented approach to fruitfulness. A finger wag in the face to force change now. A important piece to recognize thought. But what is even better, is to consider how sweet the fruit of more than 50 years of obedience will taste. Imagine the stories. Imagine the many lives impacted. Imagine your children and grandchildren and the joy and pride they may have to look at my wife and I. Imagine God being deeply pleased with the work and saying "Well done good and faithful servant." I want that picture. Imagine the many answered Prayers, the testimonies, the many highs and lows of life walking with Jesus. Imagine the adventures and the disappointments. A cup full to the brim, overflowing with the blessing of God.

Who knows what the future will look like? I sure do hope that I can keep dreaming about what fruit will taste like after a life of obedience to my Father, my Saviour, and my Helper.