The Plant

Have you ever grown a plant from seed? It's not easy. First, you have to put the seed in water and put it in the window where it can get light. Then you wait for roots to sprout from the seed. Once roots have sprouted, you take the seed and plant it in moist, nutritious soil. You have to water it every day. Even after it has pushed its way up out of the soil you still must water it. Maybe even feed it with plant food or fertilizer. Then one day, all that hard work you put into that tiny seed pays off. A blossoming flower bursts forth, and you are left in awe. How did that tiny seed become this beautiful flower?

That's exactly what God does with us. We are seeds. All of us have the potential to become something beautiful, but until we are "put in water" by God we are nothing. God gives us water to make us sprout roots. That water could be the Holy Spirit, a more mature Christian, or an opportunity for us to sprout much needed roots. Once we have sprouted, God feels we are ready for some more substance in our diet and plants us in nutritious soil. As we grow in God's soil, we are watered by Him. As the seasons change, we enter into hardships. Maybe we get an unusual, early snow. But we need to stay strong. With God's help we can weather any struggle.

Finally, the moment arrives. We shyly begin to open the bud of faith. That bud has been growing through hardships and trials. It will always continue to grow. It may wilt for a while, but God will always bring His plant back. The only difference between us and an earthly plant is that we will never die. Unlike a flower or a corn stalk, we will always live if we are planted in God's soil and His soil alone. Any other soil will cause us to wither and die like any other plant. But God's garden is everlasting. It will never fade away. He loves to watch over it, care for the plants there, spend time with His plants. He will never, ever let His garden become overgrown and dingy. We will always be cared for.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

-Peace