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I've had the opportunity to visit many different olive farms the past few years, and to this day, I can't decide when I like best to visit. I love the trees when they are in full bloom, and I equally love when the olives have been harvested and pressed into oil — mostly because I'm convinced that I can never bring home too much olive oil. One thing every farm owner has told me is that olive trees depend on their environment to thrive. They need to be watered consistently but not too much volume at a time. They need ample sunshine, proper pruning, and ideally, loamy soil.1 Like all trees, they need nutrients, and those nutrients come from the soil or fertilizers. Of course, as we have already discovered, because of their hardy root system, even if something devastating happens to the trunk and foliage aboveground, the root system can revive the tree. This resilience explains why olive trees can live for thousands of years. In fact, the oldest olive trees in existence have withstood natural disasters of all kinds, and you can see the most ancient of them all in Greece, Lebanon, and Israel.2 One of the oldest is on the island of Crete, and it is referred to as the Olive Tree of Vouves. It's confirmed to be two thousand years old based on tree ring analysis, though some say it's between three and four thousand years old.3 And it still produces olives! In northern Lebanon is a cluster of sixteen ancient trees affectionally referred to as "The Sisters." They are thought to be six thousand years old, and they, too, still produce olives.4 Locals love to tell tourists that it is from these trees the dove brought the olive branch back to Noah after the flood.5 Of course, this can't be proven, but I imagine it gives the locals enjoyment to feed such lore to everyone who passes through. The resiliency of olive trees is astounding. They are designed to flourish, and yet, despite their enduring vitality, like all living things, it is possible for olive trees to grow sick and begin to languish — meaning they grow weak and drained of their vitality. When an olive tree grows sick, there are often telltale signs clearly indicating they need attention. They begin to have dry, brittle yellow or brown leaves. They have spotted or wilted leaves and drop them earlier than they should in a normal year of growth. Their branches snap easily. Their trunks become mushy and cracked, particularly if they are dying. They develop conditions like fruit mummification. And if an olive tree has a fungal disease, there can be a discoloring at its base.6 During the past decade, in the Puglia region of Italy, nearly half a million olive trees whose gnarled trunks have stood firm through the centuries have succumbed to a bacteria spread by insects.7 The first signs of infection were seen in the leaves — they turned brown, became crunchy, and began to fall.8 And while many of the diseased trees died, years of experimentation have led to some success at reviving them. A regular treatment of zinc, copper, and citric acid has brought some trees back to a reproductive state. Trees thought to be dead began having green shoots coming up at the base of the trunk. The olive tree is a constant reminder for us all: There's always hope for a season of renewed flourishing after a season of languishing. |
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God has a habit of bringing dead things back to life by the power of His Spirit.
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God has a habit of bringing dead things back to life by the power of His Spirit.
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When We Languish Like an Olive Tree In the same way that olive trees can languish, so can we as followers of Jesus. Yes, we are made to thrive in tough circumstances, but I imagine we'd all admit that there are times when we endure multiple hits, feeling attacked on all sides, and are left reeling and weary from it all. In such a season, it's easy to find ourselves languishing and maybe even on the verge of giving up. I imagine when David was on the run from Saul, this was where he found himself. How could he not? He spent seven years living as a fugitive, enduring physical attacks, and eventually hiding out in a cave for survival, and yet we know he definitely came out of the experience flourishing. Again, he's the one who declared, But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I trust in God's faithful love forever and ever.9 Like David, we are all human, and because of that, we are bound to face circumstances that wear us down. We may not find ourselves running for our lives, but I do not want us to lose sight of the fact that we all face times of languishing — even when we know we should be flourishing. Languishing can show up in many different ways. It can appear as a sense of fatigue, apathy, or restlessness. It can mean losing our interest in the things that typically bring us joy.10 It can even be described as feelings of blah-ness, or meh.11 It's not akin to burnout or depression but more like being stuck in neutral or treading water.12 The interesting thing is that languishing isn't necessarily just one emotion but a series of them.13 If you've ever walked through a long illness or alongside someone fighting to be free from addiction, then you might know what it is to languish. Battling through a legal issue, weathering a divorce, or recovering from a financial setback might feel much the same. Of course, good things can cause us to languish as well. Whether we're chasing toddlers or teenagers, launching a business, getting through school, or building our careers, we can grow weary and want to quit and give up — but we don't dare, do we? Whether we're in pursuit of our goals or walking through a difficult season, we live in a world where most everyone has become all too familiar with the feelings of languishing, particularly since 2020. Languish "was even identified by an organizational psychologist as the 'dominant emotion of 2021' because the word captured the weariness the world felt from pivoting over and over."14 When it comes to our lives spiritually, languishing is just as real. It can show up as feelings of spiritual stagnation or emptiness.15 It can leave us with an uneasy heart or an unquiet mind.16 It can cause us to have a sense of being weary, passionless, jaded, aimless, or joyless.17 I know I've felt all of these emotions at different times in my four decades of following Jesus. In fact, I recently came out of a period of languishing after dealing with the sudden loss of a friendship that was very dear to me. It left me feeling deeply hurt, wounded, and rejected. I was so blindsided by the abrupt ending that I spent months replaying what I could have said and done differently, wondering why my friend was willing to walk away, including how she could walk away without taking responsibility for how much she had hurt me. And during all those months, I kept doing everything that needed to be done in my external world, and it was producing such fruitfulness. To look at my ministry life, you would agree with me that everything was flourishing, but in my heart and soul I was wilting like an olive tree that had lost its vitality. I was the same tree but in a different season. My roots still ran deep. My trunk was strong. My branches were connected. But despite my best efforts, my leaves were starting to sail to the ground. I didn't feel as green and flourishing — not by a long shot. I remember the day it all came to a tipping point. I was walking along the beach during a lunch break at a conference where I was the keynote speaker. My heart was utterly broken, and the tears wouldn't stop. I was physically exhausted, and I knew I needed to take a pause and do whatever it took to get back to a place of flourishing, even though at the time I'm not even sure I really believed it was possible. A verse from the Psalms became my hourly prayer: Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.18 God has indeed been gracious to me, and He has healed me, but it was definitely a journey. I am so grateful for the patience and kindness of God — He is so tender and merciful. He promises each one of us: For I will [fully] satisfy the weary soul, and I will replenish every languishing and sorrowful person.19 When we're languishing, it's rarely an easy season; it's typically not pretty, but pressing through such a time is what helps us become more resilient. If we'll hang in there with God through the process, He will be our spiritual equivalent of zinc, copper, and citric acid. He has a habit of bringing dead things back to life by the power of His Spirit. God is full of resurrection life, and He lives inside us.20 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.21 Because of this truth, I am never without hope when I am languishing... and neither are you. Read the footnotes on our blog. |
- Noah Agles, "How to Tell If Olive Tree Is Dead [and How to Revive It]," Garden Tabs, April 30, 2023, https://gardentabs.com/olive-tree-dead/.
- Agles, "How to Tell If Olive Tree Is Dead"; "These Are the Oldest Olive Trees in the World," Finca Hermosa, accessed April 6, 2025, https://fincahermosa.com/hermosa/en/oldest-olive-trees-the-world/.
- "The Oldest Olive Tree in the World," Mia Elia, accessed April 8, 2025, https://www.miaelia.com/the-oldest-olive-tree-in-the-world/.
- Damini R., "8 Oldest Olive Trees in History," Oldest.org, March 20, 2025, https://www.oldest.org/nature/olive-trees/.
- "These Are the Oldest Olive Trees in the World," Finca Hermosa.
- Agles, "How to Tell If Olive Tree Is Dead."
- Alejandra Borunda, "Italy's Olive Trees Are Dying. Can They Be Saved?," National Geographic, accessed August 10, 2018, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/italy-olive-trees-dying-xylella.
- Borunda, "Italy's Olive Trees Are Dying."
- Psalm 52:8.
- Allaya Cooks- Campbell, "Are You Languishing? Here's How to Regain Your Sense of Purpose," BetterUp, October 27, 2021, https://www.betterup.com/blog/what-is-languish-how-to-flourish.
- Cooks-Campbell, "Are You Languishing?"; Maike Neuhaus, "What Does It Mean to Languish?," Psychology Today, December 1, 2021, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/self-leadership/202112/what-does-it-mean-languish.
- S. Fielding, "Feeling Blah During the Pandemic? It's Called Languishing," New York Times, April 19, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html.
- Cooks-Campbell, "Are You Languishing?"
- Neuhaus, "What Does It Mean to Languish?"
- Fielding, "Feeling Blah During the Pandemic?"
- Cru Singapore, "Soul Anchors: From Languishing to Flourishing," Salt&Light, October 22, 2021, https://saltandlight.sg/devotional/soul-anchors-from-languishing-to-flourishing/.
- Fielding, "Feeling Blah During the Pandemic?"
- Psalm 6:2 ESV.
- Jeremiah 31:25 AMPC.
- John 11:25–26.
- Romans 8:11.
Excerpted with permission from The Faith to Flourish by Christine Caine, copyright Caso Writing, LLC.
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If you're languishing right now, you're not alone; it's a normal part of life. Consider praying Psalm 6:2, Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. The Lord will replenish and heal you and give you greater maturity and resilience! ~ Devotionals Daily |
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God's Design for a Rooted, Resilient, and Fruitful Life |
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AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Discover how God has created you and called you to flourish even in the most difficult times. Join bestselling author Christine Caine as she shows you how God created you with a powerful purpose and destiny. He wants you to flourish. Sometimes it feels like hardships and struggles are endless. Like a new storm is always brewing on the horizon. You face challenging circumstances, strained relationships, or shattered dreams. And the weight of it all can feel crushing. You simply long for rest. But how can you flourish when you feel like you can barely breathe from it all? |
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In The Faith to Flourish, Christine shows you that it's possible to thrive in every season of life—including the hardest ones—by grounding yourself in God's truth and activating the peace, resilience, and purpose he gives you. Using the biblical symbolism of the olive tree in Psalm 52:8, Christine unpacks how you can: - Develop deep spiritual roots that anchor you to withstand life's storms
- Identify spiritual stagnation and experience renewed vitality and purpose
- Behold the beauty of God and cultivate a heart of wonder
- Nourish inner peace and joy through intentional shifts in perspective
- Foster reconciliation and build stronger, more fulfilling relationships
- Embrace God's plans and purpose for your life, while bearing fruit that impacts others
No matter the challenges you face, God's design for your life has not changed—to have the faith to flourish and be fruitful. This book will equip you with the courage, resilience, and wisdom you need to thrive through every challenge, in every season. |
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Explore more titles by Christine Caine | |
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The Faith to Flourish Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video |
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Make Scripture Your Companion with the FaithGateway Exclusive Journal Through the Bible Spiral-Bound — 50% TODAY with Code JTTB Transform your daily walk with God using the Journal Through the Bible Spiral-Bound Edition. Featuring convenient Tear-Out Memorization Cards, this exclusive resource is designed to make your journey through the Word both accessible and deeply enriching. Quantities are limited! Pick up your copies of Journal Through the Bible Spiral-Bound Edition TODAY at 50% off — just $10.00 with code JTTB. |
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