Strength for Increase

Strength for Increase

Focus Word : Strength for Increase
Focus Verse - Psalm 92:12 - The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.

1. Increase requires inner strength.

Psalm 92 does not merely promise survival, it promises flourishing. Growth and increase requires strength beneath the surface. God first builds roots before He enlarges branches.
Be strengthened with power through the Spirit in your inner being. (Ephesians 3:16)
Isaiah 40:31 - but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might  (Colossians 1:11)
Isaiah 43:2 - When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

2. Palm tree strength bends, but does not break.

The righteous are compared to a palm tree. Palm trees endure storms, because they are flexible and resilient. It stands tall.
Proverbs 24:16 - for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
2 Corinthians 4:8,9 - We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

3. Cedar strength grows tall and stable

The righteous also grow like a Cedar of Lebanon. Cedars were known for height, durability and value. God’s increase is not shallow growth, but stable growth and substance.
Psalm 1:3 - That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
Jeremiah 17:7,8 - But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
Matthew 7:25 - The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
God wants His people to grow upward while remaining grounded - deep level faith, deep level dependence, deep prayer life.
 
4. Flourishing comes from being planted in God.

Psalm 92:13 - planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
The house of the Lord in the New Testament means the church/ the fellowship. The devil is described as a roaring lion seeking to devour, and lions hunt by isolating the weakest member of a group. Offense is not merely a passing emotion but a strategic "bait" of the devil designed to isolate believers and disrupt their spiritual walk; causing believers to leave church, skip small groups, or break friendships, cutting themselves off from the spiritual protection, counsel, and encouragement that they receive in the church.
John 15:5 - I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
They go from strength to strength (Psalm 84:7)
Do not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25)

Declaration - Fresh strength flows into me today. I grow stronger and more fruitful in every season.