12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

— Psalm 92:12-13

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.

— Proverbs 11:28

4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.

5 Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You.

— Psalm 25:4-5

He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

— Micah 6:8

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

— Psalm 55:22

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.

— Psalm 37:5

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

When God’s children live for their own purposes, controlled by selfishness, they dismiss God’s purpose. Stripped to its essence, living apart from God becomes survival of the fittest. Any perceived benevolence from God becomes transactional rather than sacrificial. With this mindset, the enduring question behind everything becomes, “What’s in it for me?”

To embrace God’s purpose requires seeking and walking with Him. Life’s highest honor and greatest joy comes through God’s provision, not human effort. God equips every believer, whom He saves from slavery to sin, to flourish in this life and for eternity. Surrender to God means trusting His faithfulness and sufficiency. A Christian can thrive spiritually even amid intense suffering. Resiliency in life comes when our daily experience fulfills the purpose for which God created us. The wisest and most fulfilling pursuit of our life is to know and walk with God.