Be Still And Know

Psalm 92:12 NLT  'But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.' I have on my desk a wonderful photograph of a large, aged tree flourishing within a barren landscape. It is a Cedar of Lebanon growing within its Lebanese homeland. Perched on a rock escarpment it defies nature, and dwarfs all other vegetation surrounding it. It offers me a powerful reminder that I can both survive and flourish in an inhospitable landscape. The Cedar of Lebanon is a slow-growing tree and takes years to reach its full height. This reminds me that we mature very slowly in God. That life is a marathon. God wants us to run the race “with perseverance” (Hebrews 12:1).  I was once a cross-country runner. I ran for my school and to win the race, I had to pace myself. There were obstacles along the route: five-barred gates and streams. I needed a strategy to ensure I stood some chance of finishing among the leading runners. On one occasion, when competing on unfamiliar territory, some ‘home supp