Tending the Earth

The Lord has given me several lessons in which He used my garden to illustrate truth. He also has had me pray for my garden to give me vegetables and strawberries, peaches, and that the pests would be gone. Remarkably (to me) He has answered my prayers. Today when I was picking my strawberries all this came to mind and I apologized to the Lord, saying “I’m sorry, I didn’t know the fruit was important to you.” I thought about how often well-meaning Christians had told me that time was better spent in the Bible, prayer, or ministry than mowing grass or pulling weeds from a garden.

“I gave them manna in the Wilderness” the Lord replied. “In the Promised Land, they had their own crops.” The Lord pointed out that we think it is more spiritual to pray, read and minister. And when the Lord gives us something in a special way, we believe we are walking a walk of faith.

The interrupted my thoughts with “Man wants me to give him manna. Do you want Me to hand things to you, or do you want to be given something to do?” I remembered the warfare ahead of the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land, and how those tribes that had victory built houses, planted the fields and raised animals. God had given them a responsibility, but with it came a kingdom. What a contrast to the Wilderness where they wandered with no meaningful work. Perhaps we should look at the earth once again, and not be offended at tending those things that grow in our yards. God watches over everyone’s harvest to see that it is full. Amen.