I just spent a weekend at a small lake in Indiana  on a wave runner with my husband.  The sky was blue and was laced with only a few pristine white clouds.  The air was clear the sun was warm.  The clear and cool water was teeming with fish and the rolling hills were covered in green.  I saw God in all my surroundings.

 

Nature reflects Spiritual Truths:

Isaiah 58:11 ( NIV ) The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

 

Now that spring has sprung, you may be preparing your flower and vegetable gardens for the new growing season.  Our God is so amazing that he created the world and all that is in it to help reveal his spiritual truths to us and to constantly remind us of his presence and our need for Him. 

To get the best results from your gardens you first have to prepare the soil to receive the seeds or seedlings.  Jesus tells the parable of the growing seed in 3 of the 4 gospels where he compares Gods word to seeds scattered on the ground.  Some wither and die, some produce immature plants that eventually die and others sprout and go on to produce a generous harvest.  Read Matthew 13:1-9, Mark 4:  1-9, Luke 8:4-8 for the entire parable

Pruning can make trees bear more fruit.   Luke 3:9 warns us that trees that do not produce good fruit will be cut down and burned.  A Christian life is supposed to bear good fruits.  Difficulties and struggles may be part of Life’s way of pruning our existence so we are better able to produce good fruit. 

Trees with shallow roots aren’t able to find water when there is drought.  Eventually, those trees die because they are not being properly fed.  Likewise, when we are not deeply rooted in God’s word the harsh conditions of life can make us weak and susceptible to spiritual death.  What is neglected eventually dies.  Hosea 14-7 reminds us People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine— Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

What is planted and nurtured grows.   Anything we put our thoughts, time or money into will grow stronger.  It is true about or spiritual nature as well as our sinful nature.  You probably remember that saying:

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

 

Occasionally, Weeds spring up even in the most beautiful gardens and Satan is the master gardener when it comes to planting seeds of discontentment, business, strife, pride, arrogance, greed, envy, lust and gluttony.  Weeds are easier to pull when they are small-so make every effort to remove sin from your life as soon as it appears.  Matthew 13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 

It is time to prepare the Garden, water it with the Word and bask in the Glory of the Son while we wait for his return to gather the Harvest.