A garden of God’s Blessings
My two favorite seasons are Spring and Fall. Fall because I love the colors as the leaves change and Spring as everything comes to life and I hear the return of my favorite birdsongs. “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations” (Isaiah 61:11, NIV). God promises us a garden full of life and blossoms filled with righteousness and praise…what an amazing garden that will be. In order for this to happen, the soil has to be rich and ready for the growth. I feel like my faith is the same. The soil continues to be nurtured from others as well as from the roots as my relationship with God continues to grow.
You may not realize how you may be nurturing others as their faith blooms, similar to mine. I received a wonderful note of encouragement on LinkedIn from a previous boss sharing that the Bible is the best book ever written-no argument from me! I received a personal written note reminding me how my faith encourages others and to keep ministering. All of these words and notes of encouragement are the water and sun that help my faith continue to bloom and grow.
As long as we continue to have God in our lives, we will witness righteousness and praise spring forth before our eyes. This verse does not talk about weeds or of the sins of the world, it reminds us that God prevails and that our garden will be full of beauty, blossoms that cover us in righteousness and praise. Can you imagine how spectacular that garden will be? Notice the choice of will be…not what it may be or could be, we know how the story ends and this garden is a certainty.
Tulips are my favorite flowers. While we were in Turkey on our recent trip to visit the seven churches from the Book of Revelation, I saw the most beautiful tile that had both the tree of life and tulips. I rarely buy things for myself and this was an expenditure that seemed frivolous so I moved to walk away without a purchase. Rob took me back and insisted we buy it and have it shipped home. It now hangs on a wall that you see as soon as you enter our home. The tree of life surrounded by my favorite flower always recenters me and reminds me of the beauty that surrounds us-all that God created. I can’t wait to walk in the garden God has planted for us!
Today, I pray that you provide words of encouragement to others in their faith. I pray that you not only nurture the soil of others, but nurture your own soil as you grow in your faith and relationship with God.
