Growing
Isaiah 28:27-29
27 A farmer doesn’t use a sledge to crush dill; he doesn’t use a wagon wheel to crush cumin. He uses a small stick to break open the dill, and with a rod he opens the cumin. 28 The grain is ground to make bread. People do not ruin it by ·crushing it forever. The farmer separates the wheat from the chaff with his cart, but he does not let his horses ·grind it. 29 This lesson also comes from the Lord Almighty, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.
Spiritual growth doesn’t occur by accident. God is very intentional and diligent in how He nurtures us so that we can blossom and flourish for His glory. He also treats us differently according to how He has designed us and what He has called us to do.
Cultivating the soil and planting the seed is just the beginning of a much longer process. What has been planted must then be persistently and assiduously nurtured to guard against drought, heat, weeds, disease and pests. God does this magnificently as we continually yield to Him.
Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. 2 Rather, he delights in the teachings of the LORD and reflects on His teachings day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside streams—a tree that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither, and whatever it produces thrives.
Meditating on God’s word nourishes our faith and is vital to the flourishing of our spiritual life. If we neglect that, our roots won’t tap into the life-stream of God’s Spirit, without which we can’t expect to have healthy leaves and yield good fruit.
The words of Jesus echo this in John 15:4-5
4 Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me. 5 “I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can’t produce anything without me.
Vital to the flourishing of the branch is its continuing attachment to the vine. Let’s remain connected to Jesus and trust Him to provide all that we need for us to grow in our faith, character and gifts, so that we can produce much healthy fruit for His glory.
Prayer
Thank You, Father, that You give such kind and considerate attention to nurturing and nourishing me so that I can fulfil all that You have purposed for me. I yield my life afresh to Your tender care, knowing that it is only by tapping into the life-stream of Your Spirit that I can be fruitful and flourish for Your glory. Amen!
Jeremiah 17:7-8
7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
Ian Toone