GOD THE ‘GARDENER’ OF OUR LIVES
Isaiah 27:2-3 “In that day sing to her, a vineyard of red wine!
I, the Lord, keep it, I will water it every moment;
lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.”
John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
Focus: God’s constant care and protection, which preserves us from temptation and sin.
In these verses, God is presented as a faithful diligent Gardener, who loves and enjoys caring for His plants. Many gardeners have a drip irrigation system, which delivers water and nutrients directly to the plant’s root zone, in the right amounts, at the right time, so each plant gets exactly what it needs, when it needs it.
God has an inspirational system through which He ‘waters’ the ‘roots of our minds’. That system is His Word, which delivers the ‘water of truth’ to our minds. This ‘water’ provides whatever we will need to grow in Grace and in the knowledge of God, and we always get the ‘right amount’ especially in times of temptation. Night and day, moment-by-moment God ‘waters’ our minds with all that is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.
In times of conflict, God ‘waters’ our minds with a soft answer. When there is bereavement He ‘waters’ our minds with peace to comfort us. When answers to our prayers seem to be delayed, He ‘waters’ our minds with hope and patience. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that puzzle us, but our God is always near to ‘water’ our minds with the right decision, and point us in the right direction. As we go about our daily duties, He ‘waters’ our minds with marvelous unique ideas, and abilities so that we can truly experience the more abundant life. God often ‘waters’ us with humour, so that we can enjoy the ‘good fruits’ of laughter; for without Him we can do nothing. When we are tempted, He waters our minds with a way of escape. In times of disobedience, He draws us to repent, and ‘waters’ our minds with mercy and forgiveness. In times of worship, He ‘waters’ our minds with joy, and revelations of His wonderful Love for us.
In addition to water, plants need sunlight. Jesus is our ‘Sunlight’. God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son to ‘shine’on us. Jesus came to this world and lived as a man, to ‘light-up’ our understanding and appreciation of God, and cause our relationship with Him to grow. Truly Jesus loves to ‘warm’ our hearts as He invites us to fellowship with His Father.
There is another very important thing that must be done to some plants; they have to be pruned. Plants are pruned when unnecessary branches are cut off. This process causes them to bear more fruit. Likewise, God has to cut off sin from our lives, so that we can ‘bear a bountiful crop’ of righteousness. Plants cannot cooperate with their gardeners, but we can do so with our beloved Gardener. Let us choose to make God proud, as we reflect the results of His good work and faithful labour in our lives, for all the world to see and give Him Glory.