Today’s Post By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
When you buy plants from a nursery, the roots are often so thick and tangled that they literally take on the shape of the container. Appearing desperate for more space, a plant is entirely dependent on the gardener to change its environment. Once transplanted, the gardener carefully monitors the plant’s progress to ensure it receives the proper amount of water and sunlight—factors essential to the plant’s growth and survival.
I am amazed at the spiritual significance that can be drawn from nature.
Like plants, we depend on God (our Gardener) to place us in surroundings where we have room to spiritually grow. When the Lord changes our circumstances, we are likely to experience a period of adjustment. During this time, we are under the watchful eye of our Heavenly Father. His desire is to have us flourish in our new environment.
Like a plant, water and light”become essential elements for rich, new growth. “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:3) “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” (Psalm 89:15)
There have been times in my life when I felt God stirring my heart towards change, but I had become comfortable in my surroundings. As a result, I stayed in a situation much longer than God originally intended. Like a plant from the nursery, I became spiritually root-bound.
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8)
Today when I feel that God is nudging me on to something new, I try to follow Abraham’s example of faith and obedience. I go so I can grow.
“Sometimes we can settle into a spiritual comfort zone, unaware that our spiritual health may be slowly but surely deteriorating. But trying new spiritual activities can help our spirits remain whole and strong and keep us in touch with God’s will. When we move beyond our comfort zone, we grow.” ~Upper Room
“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.” (Psalm 92:12-13)
