Mountain View Conference

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs’” (John 21:15, NKJV).

Have you ever wondered how to love someone even after they hurt you? After the death of Jesus, some of His disciples, including Peter, went fishing. They had spent almost all night with no success. Early in the morning, an unknown man on the shore told them to throw the net on the other side. Confused, they did. At that moment, Peter immediately knew it wasn’t an ordinary person; it was Jesus. He couldn’t contain his excitement after seeing all the fish, and he jumped out of the boat and swam to shore to see Jesus.

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Ps. 92:12, KJV).

As David poetically writes this Psalm dedicated to the Sabbath day, he uses verse 12 to instruct us on how to grow. He states that the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. This is no ordinary palm tree; it is a date palm, known in Hebrew as “tamar.” The date palm is tall and slender and stretches upward of 75 feet. This incredible tree grows amid the drought of the desert. It vigorously plunges its roots into the earth until it reaches the hidden waters beneath the surface. As a result, it is able to produce large clusters of fruit, about 100 to 200 pounds each year.

“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel” (Josh. 1:2, NKJV).

The servant of God has died. Moses, who spoke to God as a friend, has perished. The Israelites’ leader, friend and loving intercessor would no longer be with them.

Even in the midst of loss or pain, God always has a plan. After Moses’ death, God said to Joshua, “Now therefore, arise ...” Arise is a difficult word when living in sadness, clueless about how to confront the challenges of life. However, God invites us to trust in Him and calls us to “arise.”