Last Updated on November 14, 2022 by OCF Communications
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
—Colossians 3:7, NLT
To walk into a greenhouse this time of year is a type of time-warp experience, especially with it being winter, and especially if it’s snowing (or blizzarding!) outside. It’s an instantaneous catapult right into summer, with the sight of growing plants and their scent of life filling the warm, humid air, pleasing contrasts to a cold, wintry day outside.
To get a jump on short growing seasons in cooler northern regions, home gardeners often start plants indoors, such as tomatoes or dahlias, so that when the established plants are finally planted outdoors later, they will produce fruit or flowers much earlier. Dahlias can be exceptionally challenging. Once the tubers are planted, there’s a lot of wondering, geez, are they even growing?, despite the constant TLC of water, light, and warmth. Once green shoots push through the container of soil—after all the waiting—the gardener is faced with a difficult task to courageously cut back the growing stems when they’re about 6-8” in height. The pruning produces a sturdier plant with more blooms.
Amazing to think about, that the spark of life came into existence when our all-powerful God and King’s spoke these words: Let there be light… (Genesis 1:3, NKJV). The blueprints for the Master Gardener’s Garden of Eden called for water, land, plants, living creatures, and mankind—all designed in concert for fruitful, ever-increasing growth (v. 22).
He who made us in image and likeness (v. 26), who assigned us as caretakers to oversee ever-increasing, fruitful growth of the Earth, is the Caretaker of our souls. This devoted Gardener carefully cultivates us toward fruitful spiritual growth in our lives. He lovingly, yet firmly, prunes us. He provides nourishment through Christ, who is both the living water and the Bread of Life, to mature us toward becoming more Christlike, more of His very image and likeness. It’s a growing season that takes place over a lifetime.
Thank you for your partnership as a prayer warrior for the ministry of OCF. You help God cultivate the spiritual growth in the lives of your fellow OCF members and ministry efforts for ever-increasing fruitfulness.
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