Did you know that an olive tree can raise new shoots even at 1,500 years old?
The Fresh Life Church is doing a series of sermons about Psalm 128 – probably the shortest psalm in the Bible but profound in the depth of its meaning…
In this sermon, Pastor Lusko was referring verse 3:
“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.”
(Psalms 128:3)
Which got me thinking about my kids…
Here is the picture… the old olive trees have new little shoots growing up around them. Like the children around a meal table. But why olive shoots…?
This got me thinking and reading…
Olive trees take about 4-5 years before they start showing signs of possibly bearing fruit. A regular crop starts developing around 15 years in. It takes a while, but after that, they never stop… the trees in Gethsemane is between 350 – 900 years old, groves in Syria are believed to be about 4,000 years old, and the oldest Olive tree is believed to be over 5,000 old.
The olive trees grow where others fail. They are used for food, for oil, for soap, for strong wood. But they also stop erosion and feeds nutrients into the ground.
All very cool…
But this is where my focus fell: My children are olive trees.
Whatever Invest in them will not show any reward until much much later, but if I, by the help and grace of God, did it more or less right, they will be resilient, and strong and influence the world around them. Providing food and shelter for many… for years and years.
Their lives will quietly shape the world around them, effortlessly bearing fruit even in the harshest conditions.
Verse 1 says… “you will eat the fruit of your labour” while verse 6 ends with the hope “may you see your children’s Children”
Or …
May you see the result of your choices
in the character of your grandchildren.
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.
You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children— peace be on Israel.”
(Psalms 128:1-6)
