Planting and Growing

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it. (Isaiah 45:8)


As I read this passage, I was struck by how many times the Lord's work is described in terms of planting, growing, watering, seeding, sprouting, etc.  Not growing up on a farm and being unable to grow anything well in my yard (except maybe weeds), these metaphors probably don't speak as clearly to me as they might to someone who loves to get their hands dirty planting in their garden.  (SO not me!)  I guess It just means I have to ponder the verses a little longer than my gardening friends.  So, I wrote this verse down in my notebook and read through it several times, read another translation and waited.  What is God trying to tell me with this?  I can't seem to leave it alone.


Another verse in Isaiah has particular meaning to me - Isaiah 61:3:  "that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."  There's a long story that goes with my receiving that verse, but suffice it to say its meaning and impact has grown and blossomed (yes, I'm using farm-speak).  As I sat with the Isaiah 45 verse, "my" oak tree passage came to mind.  That tree is a planting of the Lord, not a planting of man.  Over the years, that's the part that has emerged and spoken to me.  We are God's creation, "planted" by him and therefore, cared for and nurtured by God so our "roots" grow strong, our "branches and leaves" are healthy and we grow into maturity.  


As Christians, we sometimes experience times of spiritual dryness - that feeling of being disconnected, going through the motions, sometimes feeling like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and not getting through.  Just as plants cannot grow in dry, crusty soil and need water to thrive, we, too, need the refreshing Living Water to cleanse, nurture and refresh our spirits.  In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that we may be "rooted and grounded in love".  God is love.  As we are rooted and grounded in Him - abiding in him - we are nurtured with the spiritual food we need to thrive and grow.  


Imagine yourself, without Jesus, as a plant trying to grow out of dry, rocky, dusty soil.  It's a pitiful picture.  Now read the verse above.  God is raining down righteousness on your thirsty soul.  The soil around your roots is opening up to allow the rain to soak in and even changing its consistency as the rain revitalizes and transforms the dust into rich, life-giving soil.  Your sickly, pitiful plant has been saved!  You will not die of thirst and starvation.  Your roots are stretching out to receive the nourishing rainwater and you are getting stronger and stronger.  You get strong enough to grow into a mature plant, to begin bearing fruit.  You are becoming a beautiful creation - an "oak of righteousness".  You are a  source of shelter and comfort for those who come near.  You are able to stand firm against storms and wind because your roots are deep and strong.  And the Lord created it.  YOU are a planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Song

(Originally posted on May 17; re-posted to correct video problems)

There's a song by Rich Mullins that I just love and it's been rolling through my mind all day. I won't copy the whole thing here, but the title is "Sometimes by Step" (sometimes you see it as "Step by Step" or "Oh God You are My God"). It could be the theme song for my walk with Jesus.

I've experienced God calling me away from one thing without knowing where (at the time) I'm being sent. Hebrews 11:8 (NLT): "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going." It's a hard path to take - trusting God to lead you without all the information you'd really like to have ahead of time. But, like the song says, we follow "step by step" and "learn to walk in your ways". Thank God it's a learning process!

Too often, though, I focused on the first part of that verse and somehow overlooked the part about the inheritance God promised Abraham. When I took the time to focus on the inheritance God had blessed me with, as a result of following him on a difficult path, it took my breath away! What an awesome God we serve. I had become so busy with doing what I felt I was called to do - like an assignment to complete - that I almost missed the blessing and almost missed a huge reason to just stop and praise God for his goodness.

In my much-loved song, there is this verse:

Sometimes I think of Abraham

How one star he saw had been lit for me

He was a stranger in this land

And I am that, no less than he

And on this road to righteousness

Sometimes the climb can be so steep

I may falter in my steps

But never beyond Your reach.

Discipleship - following Jesus - is a joy, a blessing, a transformational experience, a steep climb, a rocky road . . . . but OH the blessings! Even though we clearly have a choice to say 'yes' or 'no' to the Lord, in my heart of hearts I have no choice. All I want to do is answer the Lord's call to follow him - up that steep road if need be - because when I see his faithfulness, his care, the "inheritance" he is providing and has provided, it just leaves me stunned. The only response is to praise him and watch in awe as he works out his plans and purposes in my life.

Oh God, You are my God

And I will ever praise You

Oh God, You are my God

And I will ever praise You

I will seek You in the morning

And I will learn to walk in Your ways

And step by step You'll lead me

And I will follow You all of my days

Rambling Thoughts

I have been so struck lately by the sweetness and kindness of Jesus, his concern for every detail of our life – every concern. Nothing surprises him and nothing is too small or insignificant for his loving attention. I have also been reminded of how BIG he is; his plans and ways are surely more than we can imagine or see. He does give us glimpses into the plans at times but we wait patiently for him to unveil the bigger picture. That used to drive me crazy, being by nature, pretty impatient. However, that is something the Lord has freed me from to a large extent – at least when it comes to waiting on him. That’s not to say that I don’t still feel that sense of anticipation and excitement – the “can’t wait” feeling to see where God’s leading. Even when I move from anticipation and excitement and fall into the trap of worry and stress, I can still know that peace that can only come from the Lord and from trusting that his will for my life is always good and perfect. How freeing that is!


A passage from Zephaniah 3 has been on my mind, in large part due to a song by my favorite contemporary Christian singer. Bebo Norman has a song called “Sing Over Me”. A line from the chorus grabs me every time I hear it: “sing over me, sing above the noise that I’ve been making”. How often I feel that my thoughts are so busy and so noisy that I can’t even hear God’s still small voice. Which is why I love the words in that song; they remind me that God is bigger than the noise in my head. He’s not handicapped by my failure to have the “right” kind of quiet time, the proper heart-attitude. The Zephaniah verse is this: “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17) Just think of all that verse tells us about God: he’s present – in our midst, he’s mighty, and he’s so very delighted in us! He rejoices over us and exults over us with loud singing --- not just whistling a happy tune, but singing loudly because of us! Incredible!! And those times when we’re so out of sorts, so dis-quieted, worried, stressed-out - his love will quiet us, settle us and bring us peace, calm the noises that distract us so.


While these two paragraphs may seem totally unrelated (and maybe they are) the sweetness and kindness of Jesus, his nearness, his joy over us, his peace that calms the storms in our lives or calms US in those storms, his guidance even when we’re not sure where he’s leading us ---- all of that is what keeps me awed and amazed. The scriptures tell us that God’s mercies are new every morning. Beyond that, our relationship with him – a living, growing relationship – is new every morning as well. I love being surprised by God – surprised by how much he loves us and the lengths he will go to remind us of his loving attention and presence in our life. I love the gentle nudges and reminders – even if they come from songs on my iPod – that our God is singing over us with a loud voice, rejoicing over us with gladness! How amazing!

Meditations on Isaiah 40

What was it like for the prophet to speak the words we read in the 40th chapter of Isaiah? What must he have been experiencing as he had yet another glimpse into the awesomeness of God? The chapter begins with words of comfort and ends with words of encouragement, renewal, endurance. We see pictures of our tender Shepherd and images of our great and powerful Creator God. The same hands that cradle the lambs are the hands that measured the earth's waters. Some of the most beautiful and memorable verses in the Bible are found in this chapter. They are so often quoted and sung that I wonder if we miss the power and majesty they describe?

It's impossible for me to put myself in the place of Isaiah, but how he must have been reeling as he uttered those prophetic words! He must have been weak in the knees as he tried to grasp the true impact of God's message. Maybe we need a bit of that sense of total awe and wonder in the presence of God's holiness! That the God who holds the earth in the palm of his hands is the same God who gently carries his children like little lambs, who lifts us when we're too weak to take another step, who renews our strength so that we can soar like the eagles.

Wait for the Lord. Watch him. Be willing to be awed by the presence of God. Be willing to open yourself to the presence of God in your life. Don't underestimate God's power and desire to reach into your situation - to renew your strength, to be your comfort, to make crooked paths straight, to give power to the faint.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 40:28)

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Note: After I wrote this in my notebook, I read a post on Facebook from my favorite author, Francine Rivers. I have to share this God-inicidence:

Francine Rivers: "Francine Rivers
Sometimes the pain of removing what holds us captive is frightening. Yet if we lay aside all those things that encumber our walk with God, we will walk and not grow weary, and fly on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31)."

'via Blog this'