Easter is upon us, and so is spring. It’s as if God planned it this way. There’s so much we can learn from spring about God’s character, beauty, and love. This year, as I’ve been planting a garden, I’ve seen a different side of God’s character through the season of spring. God is our Gardener
For the past three weeks I’ve been bringing in and out 18 seedlings in little pots. I bring them out when the weather is warm enough, then bring them back in before the cool of the night can hurt them. As I’ve done so, God’s been teaching me a lot about his tender heart for us.
I bet you that if these little seedlings had a voice, they’d be telling me right now “Why can’t we have our own home? All the other plants have a home in the ground. Why do you have to keep moving us?”
Isn’t this exactly what we ask God?
Our questions might be: Why am I still single? When will I get the chance to settle down? When will I finally get that dream job you promised me? Or, when will you finally bless us with children? But all these questions are the same.
Let’s change the perspective
As my seedlings are theoretically asking these questions, I hear them. Realistically, they aren’t asking these questions and yet I still hear their needs, but I’m not answering their requests . . . yet.
I’m waiting for the weather to warm up so that they won’t die in the cold nights. Meanwhile, I’m also still preparing the ground. I’m tearing up the weeds, turning the soil, and fertilizing the ground so that they can be as healthy as possible.
This is exactly what God is doing for us
Think about it, God knows exactly what you want, even more than you know. He also knows every single one of your needs. He might continue to say no to those seemingly “perfect” job opportunities because he has a better job lined up. The better job might not pay as much, but it will nourish your heart in a way that no other job could.
God might wait to answer your prayer because you aren’t ready. If he gave you exactly what you were asking for, you might ruin it, or it may ruin you. But, he is building you up so you will be ready. He’s waiting for you to grow strong enough.
God is always going before us to prepare the soil for where he intends to plant us. He’s removing the harmful things, and prepping the hearts so that when he brings you in, you can be as healthy as possible and bring as much life as possible to others.
God is your gardener
Of course God loves you and has great plans for you. If he didn’t why would he have created and sculpted you as Psalm 119 says? Jesus himself says “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2). I also find it humorous, that of all trades, the women at the tomb mistook Jesus as a gardener (John 20:15).
It’s also oddly convenient that in the evening God came to the garden of Eden to search out his beloved people who had just rebelled to him. Then, in the early morning Jesus meets the women in the garden near the tomb after he had just paid the price so they could be restored back to him.
I hope this Easter weekend, we can rest, knowing that our loving gardener paid the price for us so that we can now rest under his protection and provision. You can trust him, even when it seems like he’s not giving you what you need.
How have you seen God be a gardener in your life?
For more verses about God being our gardener visit A Pilgrim’s Progress’s blog here.
