The Constant Gardener

"Your deepest, most constant need is for My Peace. I have planted Peace in the garden of your heart, where I live; but there are weeds growing there too: pride, worry, selfishness, unbelief. I am the Gardener, and I am working to rid your heart of those weeds."

I read these words in my morning devotional today, and it really made me think. It sparked some questions immediately; have I been harvesting my garden? If God has planted Peace, have I been feeding the soil for it to grow and be routed or am I allowing the weeds and bugs and vermin to have their way?

I had a garden one summer. I planted it in this first of the spring, and in the midst of my life with all of the other things that were deemed more important, the garden just kind of got overgrown. It was so hot out in the garden, and I had gone completely overboard with all of the plants that I bought to put in the ground, so when I looked in the yard at the work ahead of me, it just seemed so overwhelmingly time consuming.

That's the thing about gardens, they require effort in order to reap the harvest.

I'm so thankful that our God is not a lazy gardener. He could take one look at me and see all of the deep rooted sin and think that there was just too much trouble involved to forge ahead. He could see that I keep struggling with the same prideful ways over and over again and say there's just no hope for that girl. He could look at the depths of my heart and see that the cracks and tears are so deep that no amount of surgery could heal them.

That's what a lazy gardener would do.

But our God is as far from lazy as the depth of the Universe.

He looks at us and He sees the mess. He sees the lust, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed, anger, bitterness and pride. And He knows exactly how long it will take for us to hand it all over to Him and say we can't carry it anymore.

No matter the length and duration of that pursuit, He still tills the soil. He still plants the seed. He still waters the plants, just enough to make them grow. And when they are ripe, He comes to pick them.

Isaiah 58:11 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.

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Author: Emilee Lowe

Emilee is a Christ following wife and mother who lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a former hair stylist who is committed to being used by God in whatever way He sees fit.