Psalm 52:8: “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; / I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.”

February 27th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

David says in this psalm that he placed his trust in the mercy of God. When we place our trust in God, we become like healthy, fruit-producing trees, or as David describes it, “a green olive tree.” This means we become useful to God in His kingdom as we lead others to Him. Many people put their trust in money, position, or power instead of in God. And when we view their lives from an eternal perspective, they—like bad trees—bear poor fruit. The results of a life lived trusting God are often not immediately obvious. Sometimes it takes years or even decades before the outcome is apparent.

Admiral Jim Stockdale, the highest-ranking US military officer captured in the Vietnam War, recalled how he survived his 8-year Hanoi Hilton imprisonment. When asked how he survived the ordeal, Stockdale, who had a limp from repeated torture, answered, “I never lost faith in the end of the story.” He was then asked who did not survive. Stockdale replied, “Oh, that’s easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.” Stockdale then turned to the interviewer and after a long pause said, “This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” Green olive trees bend and don’t break. Green olive trees continue to bear fruit even when the storms blow. Green olive trees trust in the mercy of God to carry them on into eternity.

“LORD, we lean on You today to help us make it through this day well.”