Grow

When I moved to Virginia I decided that I was going to start taking care of plants, something that I grew up watching my mother and grandmother do. I always loved looking at the new life spring forth from the soil and them tending to the old plants whose leaves are beginning to fail. Now, I never did this before because my bedroom at home was missing one major element for being a "plant mom": adequate sunlight. Right before I moved I decided to get my first ever plant, a Baroque Sword, that needed moderate sunlight. Even with that my plant began to wither and droop due to a lack of sunshine, however, when I moved to Virginia I had these beautiful windowsills and my plant slowly began to perk up again. I bought it some plant friends and planted some flower seeds to welcome spring.  As I'm watering these plants I'm particularly drawn to my little seedlings that are now bursting through the soil -- baby sunflowers, forget-me-nots, and daisy's are in my midst! This is when the Lord began to speak to me. This, this is me. 

Let me explain.

As I'm watching my little seedlings break through the soil one day at a time I'm remembering when I first planted them. I wondered when or if they were going to grow. There was immense stress. I had to water them, but not over water them. Oh yeah, and I had to make sure I didn't underwater them either... They needed sunlight, ventilation, and lots of TLC (but not too much or they would die). Just when I was ready to call it quits I saw little green stems begin to pop above the soil! Just like that new hope arose, they were blooming. I was struck by the reality that this is what God so often does -- He allows us a season where we feel like we are buried, like there is no sunlight, but He is really planting us in new soil for new life! We can see how he did this in the lives of so many of His people. One day, as we are blooming in the garden we are going to look around and say wow, God, You in Your everlasting grace, knew exactly what soil my soul needed. He is just that Good. 

Today at church they were discussing Psalm 139, the main theme being that God cares for us. Now, this might seem very basic in theory, I thought the same thing when I heard the title but that's when the Lord spoke to me Devon, has my word become so stale that you are already going to tune out because of your spiritual pride? Woah! I focused in heavily and began to be ready to receive whatever He was planning to speak to me, and He did just that. 

The pastor spoke about how in Psalm 139 David preaches three attributes of God: omniscience (1-4), omnipresence (5-12), and omnipotence (13-18). As the pastor was preaching through these attributes the Lord laid 5 mini-prayers on my heart --  prayers that I want to mark this new season -- praise, submission, request, desire, and alignment. 

Praise: Lord, I thank You for knowing me (1-4)

God is not caught off guard by anything about us, and as the preacher quoted from Charles Spurgeon "how incredible it is to know the God who knows us"!

Submission: Lord, I offer you my hand. Take hold (5-12)

Sometimes God doesn't offer us what we desire because He already offered us His presence. This is the greatest thing He could ever offer!

Request: Lord, renew my amazement (13-18)

God is aware and active, He is not a blind and passive God! He began caring for us far before we even knew we needed cared for and that should spark amazement (13).

Desire: Lord, make the pattern of my life (13-18)

David understood God's greatness because he was in the pattern of worship! His eyes were fixed on Him and His worthiness to be worshiped.

Alignment: Lord, let me grieve over rebellion + desire the lost to know You (19-22)

I want to grieve the rebellion of those that don't know Him, and those that do. I want my heart to break for the lost to be found in Him!

As I'm being planted and watered I am praying that these prayers are the pattern of my heart. I can so clearly see God's hand moving, working, and pursuing and I want to take hold of these truths and plant them deep within my inmost being. 

My dear reader, let today be a reminder of the kind of God He is! He never has been and He never will be a God who forsakes His people, He is a God who sees us and desires our hearts to be aligned with His. 

Amen, Lord, Amen.