HARVEST YOUR BEST CROPS IN THE GARDEN OF LIFE

Never underestimate the healing power of a quiet moment with your Master Gardener!

Genesis 2:8-9 NIV

“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground; trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

I believe the Garden of Eden was filled with abundance…of everything a man would need to live.  God’s purpose was for his good and God’s purpose for you and me is also for our good.

God’s plans were those of a Master Gardner for Adam and Eve. God’s plans for you and me are ones of forethought and for our best. God is still our Master Gardener, and we can trust Him because He knows all.

PREPARING THE GARDEN

My daughter and her family plant a big garden every year. My daughter plans for many months, considering each selection and choosing the right seeds. I can see the excitement in her face as she is thinking about the bountiful harvest she is going to get from these tiny seeds.

The first rule of gardening is preparing the soil. Tilling the soil, removing weeds, and fortifying the soil is necessary before you can even think of planting the seeds.

There are many reasons people plant a garden. One being, taking care of the garden enables you to breathe in fresh air, burn a few calories. It also gives you self-satisfaction that you are doing something worthwhile so you can be proud of your accomplishments when harvest time comes.

Breaking up the soil, preparing it for the plants to thrive and grow, keeping the weeds removed, and watering can bring much satisfaction.

As I was thinking about the steps of planting the garden, I realized preparation is sometimes the hardest part of gardening whether we are working on the garden in our yard or working on the garden of our life. There are similarities between the 2 different gardens.

There are times when we need to do some “tilling” of our hearts which can help us soften some of the hardened places within, revealing some bad habits or a sin that should be exposed.

Your Earthly Garden requires a lot of work.

• Tilling, removing weeds and cultivating can help loosen the crusted top layer of soil.  The sharp tines of the tiller grind their way deeply, which will allow the water to penetrate to the roots of the plant.
• Choose what you need to plant.
• Vegetables, flowers, and herbs are a few things to have in your garden.
• Plant the seeds.
• Water and feed the plants.
• Prune the plants when needed.
• Establish a plan to keep weeds and small visitors out of your garden.
• Wait patiently as your seeds grow, blossom, and, finally you can harvest your crop.
• Remember faith is always required as you plant your earthly garden.
• Do not forget the Miracle-Gro. This will help those plants to thrive.                                                                                                            

Your Personal Garden of Life

• Tilling our hearts can soften some of the hard places within us, revealing some of our bad habits or sins that need to be exposed. Then, we can surrender them to our Heavenly Father.
• Prioritize what you need to change in your life.
• Do you need more faith?
• Do you want to harvest peace and joy for your life?
• Do you want to encourage others?
• Plant the seeds. Remember, you reap what you sow!
• Set goals that will help you reap good things for your life.
• Consider what you want to harvest. Your garden of life needs constant daily care.
• Water is essential for your seeds to grow.

Without water, your seeds are never going to grow. You will not have anything to harvest. How do you water your Garden of Life?

John 7:38 NIV
“ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

• Spending time with God will provide you with all you need for your Garden of Life.
• Spend time reading God’s Word; this is our instruction guide.
• Faith is always required in your garden of life!

“Let your life reflect the FAITH you have in GOD. Fear nothing and pray about everything. Be strong, TRUST GOD’S WORD AND trust the process.”

• As you wait for your seeds to grow, apply some Miracle-Growth from the Holy Spirit to your life garden.

Do you need help in forgiving someone? The “seed” of mercy and forgiveness was planted in you when you met Jesus Christ.

 Do you need strength when you are weary?

Isaiah 40:29 NIV

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

• Allow the Holy Spirit to “bring to harvest” the “seed” planted in you through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Soul cultivation may take some effort and will most likely cause more than blisters. While we use the tiller with the metal tines to go deep into the garden soil, the sharp two-edged sword of God’s Word can dig deep into our hearts by showing us pride and self-centeredness.

We need to be aware that it takes willingness and exposing our hearts to be quiet before God, allowing His Spirit to speak to us. This is how we know what needs to be corrected within us and how we can be in alignment with God’s Word which helps us to live a victorious life.

We need to become humble enough before God so that we can acknowledge that there are some things we need to surrender to the Master Gardener.

Soul-tilling also shows us how to see ourselves as God sees us; to agree with His perspective of us, and to remember to trust Him and believe in His great love for us.

There are times when life’s hard circumstances become the “tool” that can break the hardness of our hearts. God truly never wastes anything that happens in our lives.  He can and will use our difficult experiences to make our hearts softer, develop our character, and cause our faith to keep growing.

When we allow tilling of our hearts, we are trusting God and His Word to expose and reveal things that are hidden so that we can bring them before God with confession and repentance.  We can live in freedom without shame or regret knowing that He gives us His power that is so much more than our strength.

Hosea 10:12 NIV

“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD UNTIL He comes and showers His righteousness on you.”

Some people keep a compost pile in their garden. This needs to be a specific location where grass clippings, fallen leaves, leftover scraps from vegetables and fruits, used coffee grounds, eggshells, and even ashes from the fireplace are collected and dumped into a pile. After several months all that discarded waste goes through an amazing process. Those rotten tomatoes, apple cores, and limp celery – all those useless-scraps- decomposes and turns into stable soil organic matter, which can survive in the soil for decades. What a transformation!

This reminds me that we are not the waste of our past. We are not the heap of our problems. We are a perfectly new and transformed creation in Jesus Christ and with His loving-kindness He offers new mercies every morning.

Lamentations 3:21-23 ESV

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

• Are you held back by the pain of your past or are you planted in good soil?

You are the one who gets to decide. You can rise up from the heap of regret! Our God does not waste anything!

• What good fruit is He growing from the “garbage pile” of your life?

There is one thing for certain in your garden of life – there will never be a bloom without a seed sown, however we need to remember it is God who makes things grow.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 NIV

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but GOD has been making it grow, so neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only GOD, who makes things grow.”

Awaiting a harvest might take great patience and endurance. It might even take extended time on your knees. It takes keeping hope alive and faith to believe that God is working on your situation while you are waiting.

Life grows and blooms. Every day we are planting new seeds in our garden that will produce a harvest, here on earth and in eternity. Each one of us needs to tend to our gardens if we want the joy of seeing it in full bloom. There are times we need to dig deep and plant well. Expect to see good results. There are miracles that we can see when we have put good seed into rich soil.

In gardening and in life, we need to have these things which are necessary. Commitment, intentionality, and effort are required so that we can experience healthy growth. Left on their own without constant care, each will turn back to their original nature. When they are given plenty of light, water and attention you can be certain of a beautiful outcome. You will have a harvest rich enough to share with others.

 “The great Master Gardener, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in a wonderful providence, with His own hand, planted me here, where, by His grace, in this part of His vineyard, I grow; and here I will abide till the great Master of the vineyard thinks fit to transplant me.”

This was taken from the “Great Master Gardener” by Samuel Rutherford.

It is so important to remember life grows and blooms every day that we are here. Every day we are planting new seeds in our garden that will produce a harvest, here on earth and in eternity. Each one of us has to tend to our personal garden if we want the joy of seeing it in full bloom. Dig deep. Plant well. Grow your faith and be expectant. We can see miracles happening when we have put good seed in rich soil.

The seeds you have planted and nurtured will bear good fruit. In the meantime, even with all your tears, fears, and efforts, do not ever forget
God is working on those seeds that are growing. He is with you in your persistence, in your determination, in your faithfulness, and even in your failures. He is working everything for good, even when it doesn’t seem possible.

Romans 8:28 NIV

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Psalm 27:14 NLT

“Wait patiently for the LORD, be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.”

As I was spending time preparing this blog, I took a few minutes to read one of my devotions. The first Scripture I read was this one.

Luke 5:16 NIV

 “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

When I read this Scripture, the word often really stood out.

 The definition of “often” is “frequently; many times.”

I realized that Jesus went through so much persecution and the path He walked was not easy. He was rejected, despised, and betrayed. He even gave His life for us!

He is always reaching out to others with His everlasting love, kindness, and healing. He specializes in changing peoples lives as they invite Him into their hearts and homes.

1 Peter 2:22 ESV

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth.”

The fact that the Scripture says He OFTEN withdrew, which means He needed His Father’s help to stay on the right path.

If Jesus needed to talk to His Father often, so He could be receive strength, courage, and perseverance. Then, how much more do we need to “withdraw often to lonely places and pray for what we need?” He also loves for you to thank Him for what He has done and tell Him how much you love Him !

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to stay planted in You! Let us be patient in our pruning. Give us your heart to bear fruit for your Kingdom and your glory alone. Help us to always be willing to lend a helping hand to our friends and family when they need help with their gardens. Thank you for your everlasting love and patience! We give you all the glory for all you are doing in our lives!

AMEN

HAPPY GARDENING AND MAY YOU ALL REAP A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST IN ALL OF YOUR GARDENS!

Hugs and Prayers to all,