Friday, 12 June 2009

• God's Glorious Wisdom displayed through nature

  
      The cross of Christ will always be foolishness to those who are perishing.  But to us who are being saved it is Christ the wisdom of God, and the power of God.  This principle came to some light in my last post, which was descended upon by total strangers.  Why they decided to make my silly ramblings and sarcasm regarding the President's tactics the focus of their concerns is beyond me.  However, since it is my chief end to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, life shall go on, and I should like to share with you some developments of late that exhibit the wondrous glory and wisdom of God, right in my own yard.
  
      By wisdom God created the world - and He did so with a word, creating something out of nothing.  If man wants to create something, he needs materials to do so.  God however, being omnipotent, needs nothing.  He speaks and it is so.  Of all the marvelous things in Creation - the awesome colors and scenes in the cosmos, the looming mountains, the raging sea and all it's life - He gave to man to till the ground.  That being so, it is never without lessons, and never without profit.  In the observance of life's progress, there is an understanding of God's pacing, and His perfect timing.  Everything has it's season - not only the plants and animals, but also there are seasons to which man is to confine himself if he is to be productive.  And some seasons require patience and preparation.  Such is our time.
  
     And so, I bring you to stroll in the garden with me to see the course of life that God has ordained.  Do you remember the seedlings I planted so long ago?  Well, they are now outside, adjusting to the weather, growing so that they might bear fruit.  I'm certain it was a harrowing journey for them at some points, considering my level of green thumb.  But, they've weathered the 'storm', and seem to be doing just fine.  Let's take a stroll, shall we?
  
  A few weeks ago, I decided I'd best begin preparing to set the tomatoes outside.  I picked a spot that used to be part of the garden - about ten years back - and weeded it out with a pitch fork.  It was quite a lot of work!
  

  
  

  
  I also cleared out an old garden bed that a grapevine had taken over.  These plants are reckless!
  Here it is just after I'd begun digging it up.  The worst of the work is ahead of me at this point.
  

  
  

  
  And so, having laid the groundwork, I set my tomatoes and basil outside to adjust to the outdoors for a week.
  
  Then, it was time to plant.
  
  After forming beds, it's best to set the plants out in the places where you think you'd like them.  This aids a great deal in laying out your garden.
  

  
  

  
  
  They've grown quite a bit.
  
  

  
  
  
   
  

  
  Here they are, all planted.  Afterward, I also planted Basil to help drive away the bugs.  The eggshells keep away slugs.  All in all, I have three rows of 4-5 tomato plants each, and one row with 2 more.
  
  

  
  
  

     Let's take a look at what's developing in the bed that once had grapevine throughout.
  After clearing, I planted cucumbers, carrots, green lettuce, and Gladiolus.  Some things are starting to poke up through the soil.
  
  

  Cukes:
  

  
  

  
  

   
  

  
  

  Lettuce:
  

  
  

  
  

  Gladiolus:
  

  
  

  
  

  In the bed where I keep most of my herbs and flowers, I planted onion seed (it looks like grass) and Mesclun lettuce this year:
  

     
  

  
  

  It's about time for me to stop up town and pick up some insecticides.  The bugs can be pretty ruthless.
  

  
  

  I also planted Morning Glory from seed in the same bed.  It seems to be climbing up the trellis of success.
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Now, every year, without too much work, the strawberry patch yields a great deal of fruit.  They are perennial, coming back on their own, and I can hardly tell you how they compare to store bought "strawberries".  If you bite into a store bought strawberry, you'll find that the center is white.  If you bite into a garden fresh strawberry, however, you will find that it is lush, juicy and red throughout.  God's intentions are always far superior to man's "advances" in "technology." 
  

  
  

  This is just the beginning of a month straight of daily harvesting strawberries by the pail.
  

  
  

  
  

   
  
  
  

  It is always preferable to have help in the garden if you can. 
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
       Because God is a wise God, and endeavours man to perform tasks that benefit his soul, He also gives us teaching that relates to such tasks.  Without tearing the weeds and working the soil, I clearly would not have been able to plant.  Even though I'd started the seeds indoors, they would be useless if I hadn't a place prepared for them.
  
  And so, Jesus explains to us the parable of the sower:
  
  "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
  But the ones on the rocks are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and the pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a good and noble heart, keep it, and bear fruit with patience."  ---Luke 8:11-15
  
  In all instances, the seed - the word of God - is applied to a man's heart.  In all instances, our Savior says that the man "hears" the word of God.  In one instance, the man receives the word with joy, even.  In another, the man begins to bear fruit.
  
  Only the man whose heart is prepared for the seed, however - having torn out the weeds of sin and temptation, cultivating a good and noble heart which hears - bears fruit to maturity, with patience. 
  
  If you are attending worship, and hearing the word of God, the Savior has here illustrated that such is not enough for the Christian life.   As a gardener prepares to sow for the harvest, we must prepare our hearts to receive the word of God and to work patiently until the fruit comes to maturity.  Those who love the Savior will strive after His commandments, knowing that in them is life and health and wisdom.
  
  And so, I shall keep on cultivating as best I can, until the fruit appears and reaches maturity!
   
  

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