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Pressing Into Him
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Luana McPherson, Washington
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THE MASTER GARDENER
As the seasons began
to change, I made the decision to plant a garden. I quickly realized there were
many choices to make in order for my garden to grow and bloom in a beautifully
successful manner. These choices included: finding the right location; good
soil; sufficient sunlight and, the right climate.
I went through the
process of making decisions in accordance with all the specific needs. What a
blessing! The best place is right under my living room window! Again, the Lord
has shown me He cares about even mall details in my life, including the area to
plant a garden…PLUS…it’s where I can enjoy the sight and aroma of what I’ve
planted!
Our Lord often
teaches me through nature. He did so as I was working on this project.
You know, He created
His own garden ~ with each of us in mind and in His heart. He is the Master
Gardener. He has always known just where, when and how to ‘plant’ each one of
us. After He’s ‘planted’ us, and as we begin and continue to grow, He is always
nourishing, weeding, ‘watering’ and pruning us. It’s His desire each of us will
grown into our full potential.
After I’d chosen the
right place, I began my garden. First of all, I had to remove an old, dead
bush. Then,I began to dig. This area had never been used before. It was very
hard. I had to ‘work’ the soil and break it up, removing the rocks, so it would
be ready for planting. The Bible would call it ‘fallow ground’, it gives
instruction to ‘turn up’ the fallow ground, or break it up to soften
it--preparing it for the sowing of
the seeds.
Jesus compares hard
rocky ground, with good soil in the parables of the sower. (Matt. 13:1-9; Mark
4:1-12; Luke 8:4-8) While I was ‘turning up’ the soil, I thought about my
heart. It was hard before I asked Jesus to come into it and be the Lord and
Savior of my life. Then, HE turned the ‘soil’ of my heart over;
removing the ‘rocks’, the weeds of sin, and poured in the "living
water" of the Holy Spirit. My Heart was being changed. I had a fresh
start! I continued to think about this, realizing if I don’t make certain my
heart is always open to the Son Light, the ‘water of the Word’, it can easily become
overgrown with ‘weeds, thorns and the rocks’ can overtake all the work the Lord
has been doing in my heart. How? By not continuing to spend time getting fed by
the Word, praying, and especially listening for the voice of the Lord, growing
in relationship with Him.
Then, not even
considering things as sin, I will spend more time with the ’world’. It can happen
so easily. Making choices. Thinking, "Oh, it’s okay if I do a little of
this or that. I can go here or there; I don’t have time for attending church or
a Bible Study--I’m too busy. Besides, I did go to church on Mother’s Day. I
read the Bible a little, a couple of months ago. I do pray every night. I’ve
done my part with God.
It is sooo easy to
find your’ heart garden’ beginning to fail, by making determinations and
selections like this. What goes in, is what comes out. What part of myself is
being fed? Is it my spirit or my flesh? The garden of my heart is being
overtaken by things other than what should truly be there so my ‘heart garden’
can grow. My heart will become hardened again, if I give place to things not of
God in my heart. Here’s the possibility of the good things God has already
placed in my heart to be ‘choked out.’ I surely do not want this to happen in
my heart, I hope you don’t, either.
Now what? Of course,
our Master Gardener will be forgiving of our sins and give us a fresh start ~
IF we repent of the things we’ve allowed into the garden of our hearts.
As I began to sow the
seeds in my garden, I went back to thinking of our Master Gardener. I believe
when I yielded my ‘heart garden’ to Him and, continue to allow Him to do the
work that needs to be done there, the seeds He’s planted in my heart will grow.
He tends to my ‘heart garden’ so lovingly. He is continuously 'pulling out the
weeds, thorns, rocks'--anything other than what He wants there. A great example
for me to follow in the garden I’ve planted and continue to work in!
While I remain
yielded in the work of His hands, I believe He will use the Word to show me the
'weeds of sin'. Then, when I confess these sins, He will forgive and remove
them. As I humbly receive His Word, my faith will flourish, just as the flowers
in my garden! My ‘heart garden’ is being ‘worked’, cared for through a labor of
love.
During the process of
being in the Son Light; nurtured by the Living water and the Word, the weeds coming
to choke my growth are being plucked out and growth takes place!
This growth produces
joy! It shines with the beauty of the Jesus! This joy and beauty of Jesus
reaches out to others, touching them with no effort on our part. Most times, we
are not even aware of how our lives do touch others. We are just the seeds,
having been scattered.
As we bloom, we
reflect the work the Master Gardener has done in our ‘heart gardens’. There is
a sweet aroma coming from the garden. When it’s arising from a ‘heart garden’,
it is a blessing unto the Lord, and to others. During the growth of the garden
I’ve planted, I’ve weeded, fed and watered it. I’ve put much love and care into
this garden. I’ve put a little ’fence’ around it so nothing can trample on it
or ’kill it’.
Oh, what a joy! I see
the beginning of life in my garden! Tiny sprouts are shooting up, with their
little faces turned to the Son light. I feel such a burst of excitement within
me! Every day, I look forward to seeing the progress taking place in the garden
I planted! I praise the Lord for what I see taking place in my little garden.
It’s all His, Anyway. He’s given me the privilege to be a part of it!
So it is in my ‘heart
garden’. It is my desire to have the Master Gardener continue tending the
'heart garden' so it may be constantly growing through His caring love. May the
garden of my heart, and yours, reflect the love of the Master Gardener and may
we continue to grow by His Word and His Living water. Might His love spread
out, through our 'heart gardens', touching the lives of others as it is
intended to. What a sure blessing it is to know one’s been chosen by the Lord
for such a time as this. Understanding He has a purpose for each one of us, and
it’s quite available to us, as we yield to His will. As we allow the Master
Gardener’s continual work in our ‘heart gardens’.
