For as the soil makes the sprout come up . . . so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. (Isa. 61:11)
I kill plants. Despite my best efforts, plants are far more likely to meet their demise than they are to thrive under my care. A few months ago my husband and I were downtown and ended up on an elevator with a lady who was carrying the largest, most beautiful hanging plant I’d ever seen. I commented on the gorgeous plant, and when she got off the elevator we both noticed that a small sprig had broken off and landed on the ground. She jokingly told me to take it home and re-pot the small shoot. My husband and I both laughed knowing full well that under my care it would be doomed, but I picked up the small vine anyway.
I convinced my husband to stop by the hardware store on the way home so that I could purchase a small flower pot and a bag of soil. I carefully replanted my little sprig and over several months, with lots of care and proper attention, that small shoot has grown into a vine that is now thriving.
The same is true of the soil of our hearts. When we allow the Lord to cultivate his Word and his presence within us, we begin to grow and thrive. We experience his righteousness and our lives sing the praises of the one true God.
Allow God to cultivate the soil of your heart for his glory.
Deborah Rhodes is co-lead pastor of Parkside [Wesleyan] Church in Greenville, South Carolina. She is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
