WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD... garden keeper

It has been said that while we are not "our brother's keeper", we should be our brother's (and sister's) "gardener. A "keeper" is one who takes care of animals and puts limits on them, while a "gardener" is one who encourages life to blossom and grow.

My husband works diligently in his vegetable garden. Pulling weeds, watering and watching for what needs to be done to have a harvest.

If we are to "blossom" as a person, we need to continually show new growth. As Christians, we can come alongside one another and encourage the beauty and the gifting that is inside each of us to bloom and blossom. Just as a gardener makes sure that abundant water and nutrition is available, we can also provide our fellow Christian brothers and sisters with resources that will encourage growth and encouragement to them. Providing strength such as scripture, prayer and the love of God will certainly encourage others to grow in the Lord.

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question, "What do you need to be doing now in order for your future to blossom?" The top 3 responses were:

1. 50% of those polled said that they need to be more patient with the slow process of growth.

2. 20% of those voting, said that they need to plant more seeds...take more chances.

3. Another 20% of the readers said that need to pray to the Lord of the harvest.

Growth should be one of the passions of each Christian believer. The Bible says that we are either hot or cold, that the lukewarm will be spewed out of God's mouth. Being a lukewarm christian would be like a Christian having a bunch of weeds in their garden. Limited to healthy growth.

ISAIAH 11:5 "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. (6) then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for water will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; (7) the parched ground will become a pool of water, and the thirsty land springs of water."

God is a God of life. One of the greatest things about Jesus was how life blossomed when touched by Him. If you are going thru a dry time in your spiritual walk, look to this passage in Isaiah and be encouraged that when God touches you, a gush of water will well up in your dry land and refresh and renew you.

WHAT DOES THE GARDEN OF LIFE LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

• full of weeds, and lack of growth
• or full of energy and gushing waters?

Dear Lord...Help me today to come alongside my brothers and sisters and bring encouragement to them. Allow me to be tenderhearted towards them and help them to become all that they can be in Christ. May their life blossom and bloom into the beautiful vessel that God sees them as. -AMEN

YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL: Please take time to vote in this weeks poll. Find it on the side bar of this blog. Your opinion really does matter!!