Thursday, April 4, 2013

Where We've Been Planted

Since I'm on a horticultural focus from the re-debut post of this blog, I will continue!  ha! Let's continue thinking upon the concept of rising out of the junk and the sin that so easily entangles us; just as a plant rises up out of the ground in spring time. The plant pushes through the soil and digs it's roots deeper into the soil below--thus searching for light and the nutrients the light brings and digging for nutrients and water in the ground.

As you well know, plants do NOT have a choice where they get planted. They are planted by the gardener--the one tending to their development, their nourishment and their harvest.  Plants do not have a say in the amount of sunlight they are given or how much water is or will be available to them. But according to however much nutrients and sunlight they are attributed, they grow upward and outward and dig their roots in deeper. Basically, they respond to it.

Some plants are fruitful; life givers in one or multiple ways. Some of them are strong and useful for others to grow in.  Other plants are fast growers, but wilt and fade away quickly; returning to compost soon after.  Just as some fruitful plants are good, there are plants that are poisonous. And there are plants we call weeds because they grow wherever they end up and take over the space provided choking out the other plants availability to sunlight/nutrients.

Plants trust that where they've been planted is the best place. You might say, "Well, of course, Becky. They can't just get up and move." But think about it. It is something that we can learn. God is our Creator. He knows what is best for us. He knows if we are okay in a smaller pot, a smaller garden or if it is His desire for us to be planted in an open field or a large country garden with space all around. Since God is our Maker, HE KNOWS OUR NEEDS. He tends to our needs and sends rain to sustain us and storms and wind to strengthen us. Since God is our Maker and the Great Gardener, then we can trust Him where we are currently planted. He will tell us to move from our current situation as we grow toward Him. He is the LIGHT of the world.  Jesus tells us in the Gospels that he is the Bread of Life. God is spoken of many times in the Bible as a rock we can stand on. So, God is our foundation, our sustenance and our power source.

There are so many things to learn from the plant world.  The Lord Jesus used analogies about plant life many times in his teachings, too. Since He is the Maker of the heavens and the earth, Jesus must know the best ways to get his points across. We should allow the teachings of Jesus penetrate us found in the Holy Bible, even the stories about seeds and hard ground or fertile ground.

The world around us is most obviously available to us to look deeper in and see what we can learn from the creation.
So, while we are planted WHERE we are planted, we can (if we so choose to) trust God where we are. haha!  Plants cannot rebel of their surroundings; they are stuck until the gardener or some force of nature moves them. However, if they have access to light and water and good soil---they grow and flourish until their time on this earth is done. Since we are people, not plants, things are a bit different. We COULD move away from the blessings of God. We can put ourselves in places that choke out the Light. But I just wanted you to think about two things as I end this post:

1. God has given us everything we need to grow and flourish in this life, but we must choose to receive it.
2. We have the choice to trust that God knows where we are "planted" and that when we are seeking Him and growing in the knowledge of His Word, He will guide us to the next "place" or opportunity whenever or if-ever He wants us to move.

Here are some verses from the Bible on this thought.  BLESSINGS TO YOU!
Hebrews 4:16
John 6:33 & 35
2 Peter 1:2-4 *****
1 John 5:11-12