Hoping beyond hope that whatever it was did not get all of them, I've continued watering the soil daily, praying for signs of life to spring forth from what was planted.
Over a week had passed since the seeds had been planted and I thought, "surely they're dead. Surely they're gone. The 'enemy' has snatched the seed I planted, and it is no longer there. Time to start over and try to plant another seed."
More seeds were placed in water to soak overnight. But, as I started to plant the new seeds where the old had been, I began to see life was springing up out of the soil in places where I thought it had been dead or gone. I didn't see the evidence last night, but what a difference a day can make!
As I moved the soil to prepare a hole in one spot where there still was no evidence of life, I could now see the seedling was beginning to grow in the darkness just below the surface of the dirt. Although I could not see the evidence above the surface, just below, hidden from my sight, God was doing the work and life was beginning to grow.
I quickly and carefully covered it back over, because I did not want to disturb or disrupt the process that God needed to do in that seed.
We all have family and friends that we want to see come to Jesus and be saved. Never underestimate the power of planting a seed, then watering it through prayer, and letting God do the work. We may not see any evidence of life springing forth on the surface, but we never know what God is doing within the heart just because we can't see it.
Sometimes we can mess things up and kill the seed before it can fully develop when we try to 'help' God out.
Keep planting and keep praying, trusting God to give the increase in His time.
I recently transplanted new shoots from my raspberry bush. At first they all seem to be doing well, but then I noticed they were shriveling up and dying. Except one. They all have the same soil. All had the same water. Yet only one survived while the rest shriveled and died.
There was a house that I passed by daily. They had several bushes planted in their front yard. I noticed that some of the bushes did well and look healthy while there were a few that began to turn brown and eventually die.
What happened? They all have the same soil. All have the same water. All had the same amount of sunlight. Yet some did not survive. Sometimes, it's not that the environment is bad. It's not that the person tending to them did anything wrong. There is something within them that cause them not to absorb the nutrients needed to thrive or survive.
Jesus had 12 Apostles yet one allowed the devil in his heart.
I believe Jesus would have forgiven him if he had repented like Peter did. I believe that's why Jesus called him friend as Judas delivered him into the hands of those that would kill him. He was still reaching for him, letting Judith no mercy and was still reaching out.
Last year, I accidentally broke off a small branch from my raspberry bush before the berries were fully ripe. Something nudged me to stick that broken branch down into the soil. I did, and within a few days, those berries had ripened.
If I had just counted it as a loss and discarded that broken branch and unripe berries, I would have lost out on some very delicious berries.
God was showing me through this illustration - just because something appears to be dead, don't give up or throw it away.
Just because a person appears to be spiritually dead, do not give up on them. Keep praying and watching for fruit to spring forth from what seems dead and hopeless.
Jesus read from Isaiah 61. It was a prophecy concerning Him, and He wants us to do the same....
* Bind up the Brokenhearted
* To proclaim liberty to the captives
* and the opening of the prison to them that are bound
--> we're proclaiming liberty to those bound by sin!
* to comfort all that mourn
* to appoint unto them that mourn in zion
Notice most of what God is addressing in this passage of Scripture is sorrow of heart and mind.
Have you ever had days where it felt like the tears will never stop flowing?
Life can be hard.
What a comfort to know that God sees and takes note of every tear we cry.
Psalm 56:8 - Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book.
Not only has God collected and stored up every tear we cry in a bottle, but he also keeps a note of it in a book. I don't know about you, but he must have a very big book and bottle He's keeping my tears recorded in.
What a comfort to know that He sees, He cares, He knows, and greatest of all He loves us.
What concerns us, concerns Him.
Psalm 34:18 - He is near unto those who are of a broken heart and saveth (which means protects) those who have a contrite spirit (meaning a crushed spirit).
If you are emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually exhausted from the load that is heavier than you can carry, then come unto Him, lay it at His feet, let Him carry it for you, and He will give you rest. (Mt 11:28)
God's Word promises to give us...
Beauty for ashes
The oil of joy for mourning
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness
So that we might be called Trees of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.
What does that phrase mean 'Trees of Righteousness'?
That word tree means strength, anything strong.
God is going to turn all of it around so we will be strong and righteousness.
Will become stronger spiritually as we learn to dig our roots deeper in prayer.
God has planted us, and we shall not be moved or shaken!
That HE might be glorified in us.
And I'm claiming that for our unsaved family as well.
Some have broken hearts that God wants to mend.
I am tired of the enemy trying to snatch and kill the seeds that have been planted. In my natural garden, I have to put something over the seeds to protect them. In the spiritual garden, I can pray a covering, a hedge over them by pleading the Blood of Jesus to protect their hearts and minds.
So never underestimate the power of planting a seed and watering them with our prayers....even when you don't see any fruit. Even when you can't see what God is doing.
God uses the darkness to sprout the planted seed. Trust Him to do the work.
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