The Power of Staying Green
The key to remaining safe in times of terror is to stay green, which means to flourish spiritually by trusting in God and putting down roots in His river of health.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of remaining spiritually healthy and flourishing in faith, using the metaphor of being 'green' as a sign of trust in God. He draws from Revelation 9:4 and Psalm 52:8 to illustrate that true safety in times of terror comes from relying on the Lord rather than human strength. Wilkerson warns against the curse of trusting in man, as highlighted in Jeremiah 17:5-6, and contrasts it with the blessings of those who trust in God, who will thrive like trees planted by water. He encourages believers to deepen their roots in God's strength to maintain spiritual vitality, especially during trials. Ultimately, staying 'green' signifies a life of continual growth and fruitfulness in faith.
Text
I was led to read and study Revelation 9, the chapter on the locusts. As I read verse 4, about God's command to the locusts not to destroy anything green, a thought leaped out at me.
I realized that here was the key to remaining safe in any time of terror: "stay green." David wrote, "I am like a green olive tree in the house of my God...for ever and ever" (Psalm 52:8).
The "green" that David refers to here signifies spiritual health. It means to flourish, grow, be fruitful. David is telling us, "My health comes from trusting God. I flourish because I turn to him. My trust in him produces spiritual life in me."
Here is a glorious truth about the power of staying green. "Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited" (Jeremiah 17:5-6).
The Lord is warning, "Don't trust in man. If you put your faith in human power rather than in me, you'll be cursed."
Yet, if we put our trust in the Lord, here is what our faith will produce: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (17:7-8).
As we trust wholly in the Father, we put down roots in his river of health. And his divine strength--luscious, green, spiritual health--flows in us and through us. While everything around us is decaying, we'll flourish as green trees, healthy and strong. And when the hour of trial comes, we won't languish or wilt. Instead, our faith will be growing.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Key to Remaining Safe in Times of Terror
- A. God's command to the locusts in Revelation 9:4
- B. The importance of staying green
- II. The Meaning of 'Green'
- A. Spiritual health
- B. Flourishing, growing, being fruitful
- III. The Power of Staying Green
- A. Trusting in God produces spiritual life
- B. Faith in God produces a strong and healthy life
- IV. The Consequences of Not Staying Green
- A. Cursed is the man who trusts in man
- B. Drought and barrenness of faith
Key Quotes
“Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.” — David Wilkerson
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” — David Wilkerson
“For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green;” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must put our trust in God and not in human power to remain safe in times of terror.
- Staying green requires us to put down roots in God's river of health and trust in His strength.
- Faith in God produces a strong and healthy life, even in times of trial.