Devotion

Trust the Gardener

Isaiah 58:11 (NIV) The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

I have a friend who does landscaping. He visualizes his projects in 3-D without ever having to write anything down. It amazes me how he speaks to every detail of what he envisions, making his projects quite vivid to the listener. He acknowledges his ability as a God-given gift, but he told me it is has taught him how to grow in his faith in God. He said, “What I envision comes from the Gardener Himself, and I’ve had to learn how to trust Him to show me where, when, how, and for whom He sends His plans to through me. I was in the habit of getting excited and taking off from the starting line without instructions from the Gardener. But His discipline through disappointments and setbacks taught me that His affirmation is not always His confirmation for me to begin. So, you see - while others see my gift as being all about creating beautiful gardens, I see it as a tool the Gardener uses to help me develop trust and obedience in Him.” I wonder how many of us are willing to confess that we have a few projects we excitedly began, but we didn’t complete them because we took off with it before God said it was okay to start? There is a lesson in everything for God’s children. Our trust in Him makes our life’s work fruitful.