The first garden I ever planted was with the help of a friend. She did more than simply give me some basic principles to work with; she came to my house and helped me plant it. She had, in fact, prayed around this property with me as I waited to take possession of it! I was richly blessed as she worked alongside me─fertilizing and planting my new plants, and offering tips on how best to nurture them in order for them to flourish. She even brought some beautiful perennials from her own garden to share. I called it my Friendship Garden and, over time, added plants from other friends’ gardens.
There was something about digging in the rich soil that helped me unwind from life’s pressures. Getting down on my knees to till and weed brought my relationship with God to a whole new level, as I turned my garden time into my prayer time. The Lord spoke deep hidden truths into the depths of my heart from the depths of the earth—truths I needed to apply to my own life. I learned the importance of pruning lifeless stems and deadheading retired blossoms to produce even more blossoms. I even created a map of where I’d strategically planted them all so that there was always something blooming
God is a God of life, beauty, growth, and fruitfulness. We see it across His Word starting in the very beginning (Gen. 1-2). His desire for all of His creation, but especially His children, is to flourish. In other words, courtesy of the Merriam-Webster dictionary: "thrive, succeed, prosper, produce, develop, and influence."
Biblical implication suggests that He wants us to produce fruit—abundant fruit (John 15:1-2). As the gardener, His desire is that each of us will produce His fruit (Gal. 5:22-25) and flourish in our walk with Him─not just during summer seasons of our lives, when the living is easy, but in every season of our lives!
How is that possible? The good news is that we don’t make it happen. We flourish not because of anything we can do, but by all He will do—even without us—and in spite of us. And oftentimes without us even realizing it!
John 15:1-17 gives us a great understanding of what that looks like.
Planting (vs. 1):
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener" (John 15:1). Flourishing begins when we are planted in the soil of the Lord and enter into a relationship with the Gardener. Then we must root ourselves in prayer, in the Word, in fellowship, and in service as we grow.
Pruning (vs. 2-6):
"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:2). Pruning hurts, but it’s necessary for healthy, fruitful growth. It hurts because what’s being cut off is still alive. God’s desire is that we bear fruit in abundance. He wants to produce that fruit, and He will do His part to make sure that it isn’t wasted.
Imbedding (vs. 7):
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7). Our good Gardener wants the best for us. He wants life and health to be ours. He delights in us as we live according to His will. As we imbed ourselves in the life-giving power of His Word, we will not only accept His will, but abide by it.
Fruiting (vs. 8):
"This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples" (John 15:8). All that we do, all that we are, and all that we produce in our lives is for the glory of God. Consider the lilies of the field! “They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these” (Matt. 6:28-29). They just do what God created them to do. Simply by being what they were created to be, they glorify their Maker. In the same way, everyone will know that we are His disciples if we have love for one another (John 13:35).
Fertilizing (vs. 9-13):
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love...My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John 15:9; 12-13). Love is the first fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25). Love is the essential ingredient in the soil of our lives.
Harvesting (vs. 16):
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you" (John 15:16). We reap what we sow. If we plant anger, we will reap anger. If we plant bitterness, we will reap bitterness. But if we plant seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we will reap a ripe harvest of all that is good and all that will last into eternity.
God’s Word assures us that, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Pet. 1:3).
While God has given us everything we need to flourish, there is a part for us to play to enhance our growth:
- Put your trust and confidence in the Lord (Ps. 37:3-6).
- Delight yourself in Him (Ps. 1:1-3).
- Meditate on His Word (Josh. 1:8).
- Praise Him no matter what (Hab. 3:17-18).
When you plant yourself in the soil of God’s love, root yourself deeply in His Word, bask in the presence of His Son, and simply allow Him to finish the miraculous work that He started (Phil. 1:6), you will not cease to bear fruit. It doesn't matter if your path is blossom-lined, leaf-strewn, snow-laden, or freshly green. In spite of yourself, in spite of the season, even in a year of drought─you will flourish! How do I know? The Bible tells me so.
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