Faithful Gardening

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. - Romans 12:12 (NRSV)

If you are a gardener, you begin with a vision. In your mind's eye, before you even order the seed, you imagine a fruitful garden with bright tomatoes, well-formed bright green broccoli, and pole beans with chock-full pods. This hope motivates you to plow, plant, weed, and water. After a while, you begin to see the results. Some plants do exceedingly well, while others do not meet your expectations. Sometimes, the failures result from the weather–too much or too little sun, too much or too little rain, critters, and pests. At other times, there doesn’t seem to be a reason. Regardless, in that vision of a garden bursting with produce, we did not see the failures; we only saw hope. That same hope motivates you to plan year after year despite the results.

Our hope in Jesus Christ gives us reason to rejoice. Like a gardener envisioning a bountiful harvest, we hold onto the promise of Jesus Christ. The results may not always be what we expect or want, but because of our hope in Jesus, we have faith that everything will be okay. This hope sustains us, enabling us to be patient even in our suffering, knowing that God’s plan is perfect and His timing is impeccable. Just as the gardener endures the challenges of weather and pests, we must endure our trials, rejoicing in the hope Paul talks about in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”

We maintain that hope through persistent prayer. In our one-on-one conversations with him, we can find guidance, strength, and comfort to get us through those times of suffering. 

Heavenly Father, we thank You for our hope in Jesus Christ. Help us remember and rejoice in that hope, even when the results are not what we expect. May we be patient in our suffering, clinging to that hope and keeping it alive through our daily talks with You. When we doubt, help us trust your perfect plan and timing. In Jesus, our hope, we pray. Amen.

Blessings,

Pastor Tim