How's Your Garden?

During these last few months at our home, it’s the season where we invest a lot of time and energy in our vegetable garden. My wife has loved gardening and puts all her knowledge and research into making it healthier and vibrant.  We have decided to do 100% organic gardening, with only the best soil, best plants and seeds, and every year our harvest is rich and plentiful and are crops are incredible and tasty. But one thing about gardening is you don’t just go out to a pile of dirt and throw seeds down and expect a wonderful outcome. There is much planning, preparation and maintenance involved in having good fruit and vegetables. IT TAKES WORK. 

I think these same rules apply to the spiritual gardens of our hearts. We need to plan, prepare and maintain our hearts if we want healthy, vibrant fruit to bloom within our lives. Every year my wife starts planning. She prepares ideas months ahead on how to get the best outcome from the garden and these steps are very similar to the outcome of the spiritual garden of our hearts. 

Let’s take a look at some important steps we can take to have strong healthy fruit in our lives. 

1. Check your soil. Is your heart soft and pliable and willing to receive tilling? It doesn’t really feel good to dig and till, but it could be the most necessary part for growing fruit. The soil you plant on is just as important as what you are planting. God wants to remove any rocks, sticks and unnecessary objects so that his Word can grow in you and his fruit will have no hindrance in becoming strong and vibrant. Let the Holy spirit inspect your soil and till away what’s needed. 

2. Check what you're planting. Are you planting things into your heart that will grow your garden healthy and full of nutrients? God wants you to plant his word in your heart, this is the best seed that produces the best fruit.

I have hidden your word in my heart. Psalm 119:11a

There are a lot of outside sources that will want to creep up in your garden and try to grow, so we must become aware and not let anything be planted in our soil that doesn’t bring fruit and life.

3. We must maintain our garden daily. Yes, DAILY. We need to get down on our hands and knees and check for weeds, pull them out and deal with them quickly. 

Gossip, rumors, anger, division, unforgiveness, jealousy: these are just a few things that need to be pulled up and discarded quickly. Don’t give them any space to multiply.Make Jesus the Center of your heart so that unwanted weeds have no room to grow and germinate.

Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me. Psalm 51:10

4. Water your soil daily. Grab hold of God’s promises and speak them over the garden of your life. Let them soak into your heart’s soil to bring refreshing and life. Pray and expect that God’s spirit will grow you. STAY WATERED IN HIS PRESENCE DAILY.

Good and healthy fruit will come when we take all the proper steps. It takes work, but produces life.