Some Plant...Some Water

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. I Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

The picture is of a science project my 4 year old granddaughter and I did for her pre-k homeschool curriculum. We planted 3 little navy beans in a small cup with about 1 ¾ inches of dirt. For 17 days she had to record (make a drawing) of what she saw. Actually, we were only allowed to look at it every other day. It took 5 days before she saw a little sprout in the dirt, and boy was she one excited little girl. She also had to estimate how tall she thought her plant might grow. She picked 6 inches on the ruler. Truth is I didn’t know if it would make it in such a small amount of dirt. We planted 3 beans and 2 of them sprouted. But it is now 3 months later and the picture doesn’t do justice to have much that plant has grown, but I wanted you to see the little cup of dirt it was growing out of.

We had no idea this plant would grow as it has, and we keep talking about repotting it…LOL!!! But all we did was water it a little and sit it in a sunny window. One day when I went to put a few drops of water in it, the scripture came to mind “Some plant, some water, but God gives the increase. [My paraphrase] I Corinthians 3:6 Wow! It was like hearing it for the first time because there was a new clarity in it for me. The clarity was just how little we do, yet how huge our expectations can be of others.

Since the sun, dirt and water are all natural resources (God made) and without them, things could not and would not grow and the Bible is God’s….so, why is it we quickly become discouraged with baby Christians or those who are not yet saved, and give up on them? Why do we stop praying for people, just because we haven’t seen a change in our time frame? I think it’s because a lot of us don’t really understand what Paul was telling us in Corinthians?

Amaia-Joi and I did little to nothing for this plant to grow as it has. Once the seeds were planted we just watered it every week…no more, no less. God made it grow. The same way He does in the spiritual realm of our lives.

I guess today I want to encourage as many of you as I can to not give up so quickly on others and God.

You might plant a seed in someone and it could take years of watering by others before…listen to me, “before” God gives the increase or makes it grow. It’s not our call, it’s His.

The Bible says that man judges by the outward appearance, but it is God who judges the heart. And you know what my dear sisters the heart is a tricky thing. You know why? Because the Bible also tells us that the heart is deceitful but above all else it is wicked. Hum. So, only God can deal with the heart of man, I mean who else can back up the statement that He can turn a heart of stone into one of flesh?! That’s right only the Lord.

So, with this fresh outlook on how God works, it should help us to not badger people with the Word of God. Yes, I’m talking about almost hitting them over the head with what the Bible says, or constantly reminding them of their sin and Hell’s damnation. Reason being, people start to tune you out and that is not the gentle and refreshing drink of water we love so much when we are parched. It’s more like having a fire hose turned on you to the point it hurts and you are unable to withstand it.

It should also make us think about how long and how much we are to pray for people God has put in our lives? Do we give up after a year, or is 5 years long enough? What about 10? How long do we wait before our expectations have not been met and give up?

We don’t! We are to continue to be the vessels God needs us to be and continue to plant seeds in some and water others, until it is time to go home or Jesus comes back for us!

If there is someone you have given up on, may today’s blog rekindle your hope in God and what He is capable of doing with this person in His time frame and not yours.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


See you next Monday!