God the Master Gardener

God is a master gardener who desires to reclaim souls just as one might reclaim an old garden. First, God removes the hindrances to growth, The weeds of sin that have crept in and choked us and prevent us from healthy spiritual growth. God forces us to recognize, confess and clean out old sins. Things like un-forgiveness, pride guilt, lust, hate. The scars of old spiritual wounds of rejection and fear, like rocks, causing us to harden our hearts. God says He will give us a new heart. Then He cleanses the wounds of the soul and promotes healing with His forgiveness. Good seed is sown through the reading and the preaching of the word of God and the prayers of others. The seed is now embedded in the good soil as faith prevents erosion. Next, a growth stimulant is applied. We call this love and compassion which is at the heart of God’s grace. God’s blessings surround us though we have done nothing in the past to warrant God’s favor. God’s promises for help abound. Then the soul is placed in a good environment. We are put in the midst of a caring people called the church. We are told to seek and dwell on the good things about us. The Holy Spirit surrounds us and teaches us the things of God, cares for us and protects us. We are watered and encouraged with God’s word found in the bible. Jesus provides a light that we are drawn to. Growth and praise to God is inevitable. Continual weeding is done as we daily seek God, repent for new sins and ask for forgiveness. Weed inhibitors are applied when we rebuke Satan by the power of the name of Jesus Christ and cast out devils, seeing ourselves as belonging to God, even as His children. Eventually, as we mature, through testings that deepen our faith and love of God, we begin to produce good fruit and the cycle of new gardens and regeneration is spread to those about us. We are called to share the blessings of God and the good news of Christ as new seeds are planted. And God is in the middle of it all!