Sunday Writing ... "PLANTED, WATERED, ROOTED" … 7/23/17

Good Morning!

Today's writing is by Jan Andersen entitled, "PLANTED, WATERED, ROOTED"  She compares our lives to the life cycle of a plant, how it is planted from a seed, watered, sprouts roots and so forth.  Read below how God plants, waters and roots us.

Blessings,
Jan and Corinne
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Today's Devotional:

"PLANTED, WATERED, ROOTED"

by

Jan Andersen

Let’s look at the life of a wild plant.  First, a small seed must fall or be dropped in the right place.  The soil must be roughed up enough for the seed to sink in.  The right amount of water must reach the seed - too much and it will wash the seed away, too little and the seed will not grow.  Then the tough outer covering of the seed has to crack open, allowing it to grow roots.  The right amount of nutrients have to be present in the dirt to feed the growing seed.  Once the plant starts to grow upward, it has to push through the surface dirt to reach the sun and the air above.  The leaves sprout to soak up the sun’s nutrition.  Hopefully it avoids being nibbled by hungry rabbits, dug up by dirty dogs, trampled by passing feet, or pulled out by weeding hands.  Even if it gets this far, there has to be continued nourishment of the right amounts of water, air and sun to keep a plant living and growing.  

God forms and plants us in our mothers’ wombs where we are nourished by their bodies.  We grow there until we are born about 9 months later.  In Baptism through the water and the Word we receive the seed of faith within our hearts.  We feed that faith throughout our lives through fellowship with other Christians and reading and studying the Bible, soaking up the nutrition for our souls and rooting ourselves in Christ.  Then we can bloom where we are planted and produce good fruit.

In some cases, babies in the womb are not formed what we would consider normally or are born too soon and have difficulties right away.  Sometimes proper nutrition has been poor while in the mother’s body or after, and a child’s physical growth suffers.  There are also times when physical and mental health suffers from abuses of many kinds, both in childhood and adulthood.  Even if everything seems to go well as we grow up and mature, there are always possible pitfalls, booby-traps, and storms along the way.  Relationships go sour, jobs are lost, homes fall apart, bodies fail us.  Sometimes we stop nourishing our faith and we stop trusting God.  Other times we fall into sins that take over our lives.  Some of us suffer mental health issues.  We may expect sunshine and roses, but come out covered in mud and pierced with thorns.  The dirt in our eyes can cloud our vision to the point that we turn against God and blame him for failing us, instead of laying the responsibility where it belongs, square at our own feet and with Satan and his temptations.

While these difficulties may seem problematic, they can also force us to grow stronger.  At this point all we can do is look to God who will send the gentle rains of Jesus’ blood to wash us clean of sin, grow our faith that is rooted in Christ through the Spirit, and shower us with blessings if not here then in heaven.  Our tears wash the dirt from our eyes as we cry out to Him.  We can even thank him for the filthy dirt and stinky fertilizer and watering storms that helped us grow.  Planted by the Father, watered by the Spirit, rooted in Christ- God opens his forgiving arms and welcomes us home!

Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)  Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Dear Father, thank you for planting us where you want us to be, rooting us in Christ through the waters of baptism of the Holy Spirit, and growing us to be mature in our faith.  Help us to bloom where we are planted so that we may produce good fruit and be good witnesses of your merciful forgiveness for all.  In Jesus name, Amen

written by Jan Andersen

"GRACIOUS TEMPEST"
Live from Youth

Hillsong Young and Free

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Prayers are lifted up daily for you 

by the Staff Writers of 

Women's Focus Ministry

  Jan Andersen,  Cathy Friberg,  Sandy Billingham, Beverley Napier, Shelly Keith, Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,  Karen Bennett, Carol Steficek, Amie Spruiell, and  Corinne Mustafa

Occasional Contributors

Kathy Bireley,  Lynda Kinnard, Mary M. Wilkins,

Terri Baker, Beverley Napier, Kelly Dobyns

Glenna Williamson, Lisabeth  Lipp, Nandita Bhatnagar.