By Gary Piper of Fort Gratoit, Michigan USA
But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
If you are reading this, you are the “good ground” Jesus was talking about in the parable of the sower. Anyone who has planted a vegetable or flower garden knows the time between planting and harvesting is crucial to a good yield. Don’t forget, during the growing season most of the nurturing work is done to the ground, not to the plants.
In a garden the ground cannot do anything by itself. The gardener does all the work. That is not the case with us. We need time in the “wilderness”—personal devotional and Bible study time, time with other Christians, and most importantly, 24/7 time spent with the Holy Spirit. While all times are equally important, perhaps time spent in the “wilderness” edges out others by the narrowest of margins because, according to Peter, those times contain great blessings.
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6–7 NLT).
I don’t know about you, but times of “testing” bring out my impatience—probably the reason for being tested in the first place! My belief is, if God is going to get me through this, then let God shorten my time here. But God’s response is always the same: “Not by your timeline, but by My timeline.”
And we all know who prevails, don’t we? I am blessed because in that case I am both loser and winner. God is the GREATEST!
Prayer Phrase
“…we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
Weeding the Garden
Inner transformation can take place among daily leisure and work. Try cultivating the spiritual discipline of grace and acceptance while weeding the garden. As you pull each weed, offer a short prayer. Tug. (God remove from my heart all prejudice and fear.) Tug again. (God, keep me from judging others.) As you remove the weeds, continue praying. (Plant in my heart the seeds of your love.) If you don’t have a garden, try this transforming prayer while engaging in repetitive tasks or work today (cleaning out a closet, washing dishes, cleaning the floors, mowing the lawn).
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.