Fat and Flourishing
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 08/02/2026
Foundation Scriptures:
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 15 To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Psalm 92:12-15 KJV
[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. Psalm 92:14 AMPC
1. Blessings of the Righteous.
a. There are five blessings of the righteous mentioned in Psalm 92:12-15.
b. They shall flourish like a palm tree.
c. They shall grow like the cedars of Lebanon.
d. They shall flourish in the courts of God.
e. They will still bring forth fruit in old age.
f. They shall be fat and flourishing.
2. Fat.
a. This promise in Psalm 92:14 is for faithful believers.
b. Those who believe God's Word and are yielded to Him in every sphere of life.
c. Those who are committed, submitted, steadfast, enduring, and abiding.
d. The result, or blessing, of their consistency is that they will be fat and flourishing.
e. The Hebrew word, fat, used here, means, rich, fertile; vigorous, or stalwart.
f. Isaiah 30:23 KJV - Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.
g. This promise is that your ground will produce abundantly and your produce will be rich and plentiful.
h. Psalms 22:29 refers to those who are “fat upon earth,” meaning rich, prosperous or powerful.
3. Blessed With Abundance.
a. This verse does not refer to obesity, or being overweight, or being out of shape.
b. The Bible meaning of the word, “fat,” meant “blessed with God's prosperous abundance."
c. Fatness—abundance.
d. Fatness of fertility.
e. Fatness of blessings.
f. Various lexicons define this word as "fresh," "rich," "fertile," "affluent," "abundant," "wealthy," and "satiated."
g. So, the Biblical definition of fat is not "corpulent" (body heaviness), but "opulent" (having abundant resources).
4. Satisfied.
a. Fat—fatness—satisfies hunger—both physical and spiritual.
b. Psalms 36:7-8 KJV - How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
c. Psalms 63:5 KJV - My soul shall be satisfied as [with] marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise [thee] with joyful lips:
d. Psalms 65:11 KJV - Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
5. Flourishing.
a. The Hebrew word, flourishing, used here, means to be, or grow, luxuriant or fresh or green—new; verdant; flourishing; prosperous.
b. Psalm 92:10 NKJV - But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.
c. When the Lord anoints us, He anoints us with fresh (green) oil—not old stale oil.
d. Psalm 52:8 AMPC - But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in and confidently rely on the loving-kindness and the mercy of God forever and ever.
e. God’s promise is that my leaves shall be green; meaning that even in a time of drought and lack, I will prosper and produce good, healthy, abundant fruit.
f. Jeremiah 17:7-8 AMPC - [Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.
g. If I delight in the Word of God and prioritize it in my life, I will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in season, whose leaf shall not wither, and whatever I do shall prosper (Psalms 1:3).
6. Fat and Flourishing.
a. A look at other translations gives us a wider range of expression concerning this phrase:
b. "…they will be fertile and full of growth."
c. "…always green and strong.”
d. “...fair and desirable."
e. "...vital and green."
f. “…full of life and vitality".
g. Others translate this phrase:
h. “…they shall still multiply; and continue prosperous."
i. “…their lives are rich and productive...”
j. One version reads:
k. “…and even when advanced in years they shall, like tall and sturdy trees, bring forth good fruit for years to come."
l. We can rejoice because we are living memorials to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is our Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (Psalms 92:15).