Fruitful and Flourishing
Taking care of plants seems easy enough. All plants need to thrive is air, water, nutrients, and sunlight. Simple right? Even still, I somehow can never manage to get the formula right and the green leaves on my plants inevitably turn brown. My thumb is definitely not green and plants that enter my home are always doomed to an untimely death. I have often wondered how plants felt as they entered my home. Were they nervous? Were they scared? Did they call their loved ones one last time? Whatever their emotions, I am certain it is the exact opposite of how plants feel in the care of the original Gardener. In the beginning God planted a garden. With great precision, He filled His brand new world with beautiful plants of all shapes and sizes. Without a doubt, He understands the intricacies of nurturing plants. He understands what is needed for plants to thrive and flourish. For this I am thankful, because in His Word, God describes us as trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. In His care, we can rest knowing God knows exactly what we need to be fruitful.
In Psalm 1 He lays out some principles that set us up for success:
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-whatever they do prospers.
God’s Word says there are two paths, one leading to a life where leaves never wither and flowers never fade and another that leads to death where the leaves look more like my plants- brown, withered, and dead. Clearly, the second path is the one we want to stay away from, right? So what are the instructions for staying on the right path?
Delight
The first thing He tells us to do is delight in Him and His ways. Delight is a heart word. Delighting isn’t done in the head it’s done in the heart. When we take pleasure in God and His ways, we do so from a heart that understands He knows us best and loves us most. As parents, we can help our children love God’s ways by showing them He’s a good Father and everything He asks us to do is for our good. Even when it may be hard for them, like being kind to someone who has hurt them and forgiving them…again. We can help our children to understand that following God’s ways always builds our lives and keeps us walking in freedom.
Meditate
The next thing He tells us to do is meditate day and night. Meditating is simply reflecting on God’s Word, His truths. Meditating on God’s Word keeps us sourcing from the right place. Here at HCA, students are daily given the opportunity to hide God’s truth in their hearts. They are encouraged to buy the truth and never sell it. In our homes we also have the privilege of bringing God’s truth to bear on their lives as we are coming and going, working and playing, getting up or going to bed. God instructs us to repeat them to our children again and again. His hope is for all of us to be sourcing from His life giving flow.
Fruitful
When we choose to delight in Him and meditate on His Word we will inevitably become fruitful which is the ultimate goal of our lives. John 15:8 tells us, “By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit.” This is the desired end for every plant in God’s garden, fruitful and flourishing- bringing Him glory! Unlike me, God never struggles with getting the “formula” right. The Good Gardener, He always supplies the perfect amount of “nutrients” each individual person needs to be fruitful. Our part is simply to receive what He has for us. If we source from Him, we will be the fruit-making trees of righteousness that He made us to be. May each of our lives, parents and children, be fruitful and flourishing, bringing glory to our Father whose thumb is most definitely green.
