Does God talk to you in your day to day happenings? I find that He will strike up a conversation with me when I least expect it. How you might ask? When a thought enters my mind that I know isn’t mine, it’s usually Him.
This morning I was watering my plants in the backyard and that’s where it started. I realized it had been a few days since I’d watered them. I’m notorious for buying beautiful plants, planting them in the ground and forgetting about them, expecting them to thrive on their own. They don’t ever survive. I find myself digging them up, buying new ones, and ignoring them until they die. After a couple of tries, I just give up.
This happens when someone accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior but does nothing to nurture their new faith. They are moved by John 3:16,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
But after the initial commitment, they expect their faith will just grow on it’s own. It just doesn’t happen. They may encounter another who shares the Gospel with them and try again, only to fail if they do nothing else.
I’ve gotten better with my gardening through the years. I do tend to water my plants once a week now. I come in from my morning run the first of the week and water them before I shower and write my blog post. I find if I have a set routine, I do better at remembering it.
For the new believer, church serves as that routine of feeding their faith. It happens every Sunday without exception. They realize the value of community. They’ve come to understand Hebrews 10:25,
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another– and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
While the weekly watering of my plants will allow them to stay alive, they need more if I want them to thrive and be all they can be. I have to take time with them and protect them. Protect them, you ask? I do so by making sure their roots are protected by mulch or pine straw and carefully pulling the weeds from around them. Weeds are tricky, because they don’t easily stand out. It’s not like God made weeds grow neon pink so we could see them. Weeds are typically green and blend in with the plants. They can be missed if you’re not careful. It takes time, attention, and patience to remove them without damaging the plant.
So how does a believer protect herself? By protecting her roots by strengthening them in the Word on a daily basis. In doing so, she can more easily identify the lies she’s may otherwise accept as truth. The enemy knows he has to tell just enough truth with a lie for us to believe it [Genesis 3:1]. It has to look so similar to truth so we will just glaze over it. The only way to identify lies and remove them from our thinking is to know the truth well. We do this through intimate time with the Lord. We learn to recognize His voice so when He speaks, we know Who we listening to and respond accordingly [1 Samuel 3:9-10].
How’s your garden of faith? Does it need a resurrection? Is it alive but could be so much more? Or is it thriving with more color and fruit than you can possibly contain?
This was so perfect for me in so many ways today. One in getting my roots deeper, plus the message of Salvation was so plain and right on. I have a dear friend I hope will read this. Thanks for all that you do Susan.
Thank you, Biffy, for your kind words of encouragement. I always find it interesting to see what God uses to speak to me. I’m glad it spoke to you as well. Have a great week!
The enlightening written description just shared of God speaking to us is fulfulling to me at this moment in my life and time of my day. I read his word daily and LIFE shows up with its trauma’s, disappointments, struggles, but I believe God. I reflected on a church memeber who used me up after rmy husband of 18 years died. She lied and had stolen money form the church, she was the secretary /members clerk She refused to tell me of how she was let go from her job, and I did not inquire. Anyhow.
Discerning God’s voice is of my utmost desire for my relatinship with him at this time in my life. I am learing to walk alone since the loss of my spouse who is in paradise enjoying heaven every day. I failed him as a wife, no affairm but i failed him, and I realized within a month of his passing Just How much HE LOVED ME. ANYHOW.
I must read your writing son God’s voice in our lives. OH God blessed me wiht that situation form teh “friend” in church. But it was the older memeber who quietly told me of her improper discretion. And as good as God is, he will forgive her as soon as she repents. I just want to be all I can for God through Jesus Christ his words and minister to all beleivers as much as i can for the rest of my earthly life. So my completion of your writings on Hearing God’s voice..is great, marvelous, heart wrenching this afternoon for me. Thank you for being a writer. I learned from you today.
Thank you for your kind words.