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Mother’s Day
brought flowers, I’ve planted new plants in my yard. They look beautiful, yes,
thank you for asking. I make sure to water them regularly because they’re just
getting rooted in fresh soil. They’ll take hold and perhaps next year, they won’t
need quite as much extra water, though I do pamper the ones I planted last year
with some extra water too.
What would
become of them if I’d carefully dropped them into the soil of my yard and
turned to walk away, never going back to tend them again? Out here in the dry
Colorado dirt, they’d quickly wither up and die without some love, attention –
and water.
Making this
a point to ponder, we can see how watering is important and necessary for
spiritual growth. Whether we’re talking about a brand-new Christian who’s just
been introduced to the new soil of Christianity or a seasoned Christian whose
faith has already been tried, we all need the watering of encouragement.
Evangelists sometimes
get a lot of attention; they often make a big splash exposing our need for a
Savior. Many of them are louder than the average bear and might pack a bit more
energy into their presentations. But we daily share Jesus with the people
around us, sometimes quietly and without words. Evangelists might be considered
the ‘seed planters’ – and might also be seen as the harvesters. To the lost
soul coming to Christ, it may feel like they’re hearing these truths, these ‘seeds
of faith’ for the first time. But God has always been sending people along the
path of their lives, planting seeds they may not have been aware of, preparing
them for the harvester who will come along and lead them straight to the Throne
of Glory to receive the salvation they’ve been needing, that maybe they didn’t
realize they were looking for.
But what
happens in between and after? While some have been planting seeds from the Word
of God into the fertile heart of one searching for answers, others come along
side them and water those seeds, showering them with encouragement and stories
of God’s faithfulness in their own lives.
Without water,
seeds quickly die off, even after they’ve sprouted up out of the ground. We may
stumble across seeds of Truth, not realizing that God was at work behind the
scenes preparing them for us, unnoticed there in the background of our lives.
Jesus didn’t die in vain, He’s at work with His Father and His precious Holy
Spirit wooing us, revealing Himself to us, softening our hearts and opening our
eyes and ears to see spiritual things - and by His kindness, drawing us to
repentance.
Without the
waterers, what would become of us?
Even those
of us who are firmly established in our faith need God’s living water poured
generously over us from time to time. God won’t deny us that. He has plenty of
waterers around us. No doubt, you’re one of them!
How do we
water the people around us? Well, how do you find yourself watered – or refreshed
and encouraged? That’s what the people around you need, too.
God’s Word
is called Living Water, among other things. The River of Life that flows out of
us is the Spirit of God that moves through us to the people around us when we
encourage them. When we need encouraging, God sends someone across our path
with a fresh bucket of Living Water for us.
If we’re not
refreshed or nourished by the Living Water of God, perhaps it’s because we didn’t
like the looks of the bucket (pride). How long will we go thirsty?
Much of my
poetry refers to gardens and flowers because that’s one wonderful way God
relates to me, He fills me with joy and stirs His Spirit within me when I’m
outside amidst the beauty of nature, or when I’m breathing in the fragrance of
the pretty bouquet my husband nourished me with. (He’s my favorite waterer!)
And sometimes - it's just rains......
You, my
friend, are an incredible waterer. Keep up the good work. You’re VERY important!
I thank God for you.
