Redeeming the Dirt-Growing in Grace while Gardening with God
Good Morning Friends,
Today’s devotional is about a theology of place and purpose. It is about having the right kind of seed, sowing the seed with love, and preparing the soil for planting and helping the seed to grow. But it is also about having a heart that grows in Kingdom soil. It is a message for church transplants and for gardeners in God’s community. It is a witness that in God’s creation, He has designed our efforts and His grace to team up so we might rejoice in a harvest of productive organic plants, Redeeming the Dirt-Growing in Grace while Gardening with God.
Scripture: Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!
– 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (NRSV)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
John 15:1-8 (NRSV)
Message: We are still in the Easter Season but we are also in the planting of gardens season as well. But let’s be honest, we want the harvest now, but we are required to wait. We have to wait for God to act. We want credit for the harvest but face the reality that the credit belongs to God and to His glory. We discover that by His grace we are tools for the Kingdom. We discover that we need to become useful members of God’s gardening team. When a person hears and understands the Word, the seed is planted in the heart. What happens after that depends on the nature of the soil….the nature of our hearts. We must make ourselves ready as part of a team demonstrating that our hearts are not hard, our hearts are not shallow, our hearts are not crowded with sin. Then God can use our spiritual gifts and our changed hearts on His team to multiply the efforts. As churches and church members we are to work the soil until the full harvest comes in…until Jesus returns.
Pray that we are faithful in sharing the Word of God with others and nurturing and encouraging with others to help them grow in the faith. Pray that we realize that scripture was not given to us primarily for knowledge, but ultimately and foremost to change our lives. Pray that we demonstrate the Spirit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance as fruits of this reality. Pray that we are patient during the long stretches of darkness and silence that separates planting and reaping. Pray that during the waiting we cultivate and weed and nurture and plant and transplant. Pray we are patient doing our part as we wait on God to bring the increase, to bring the transformation, to bring back the harmony even in the hope of His return. Pray we look beyond denominationalism. Pray we collaborate and network. Pray we plant more seeds. Pray we focus on kingdom ministries that contribute to a revival, that are relevant because they push past fear and in love share the good news. Pray we see the church beyond the role of a preaching pastor. Pray we be a cultural garden of productive plants. Pray our market and marketing be a ministry that honors God’s design. Pray we realize the idolatry of the wrong kind of gardens. Pray we redeem the dirt.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 