God, Gardener of Our Hearts
By: Heather Izzard
When I first gave my life to Jesus I was learning about gardening. On Earth and in Heaven something happened. God watered the childhood seeds in my damaged heart and they began to bud and grow, just as Moses’ staff grew (Numbers 17: 7, 8.) Our Father is the Gardener and Jesus is the vine from whom all branches must grow (John 15). None can flourish independently of Him.
We are all made unique though look similar. Some need support to stand; others grow strong, tall and robust. Some cluster in small groups while others draw us near with their beauty and fragrance while some spread wildly are spiked and poisonous allowing no one to approach them. All are created to bring glory to God, set seed and reproduce.
To bear good fruit, each branch needs to be pruned /cut back; sometimes hard, even those who have borne good fruit need cutting back to grow stronger. None can bare fruit continuously; we must rest and gather nourishment from our Source.
Jesus explained (Matthew 13), how some seeds (Word of God), fall on deaf ears (hard ground), some (on rocky, thorny ground), grow quickly but have shallow roots and die but some seed will fall on good land and thrive.
Jesus likened the Kingdom of God to a farmer (Mark 4:26-29) who spread seeds then continued to look after his land. He did not know how much sun and rain there would be, he just planted and hoped. When the harvest came he gathered it in as we will be gathered into Gods Kingdom. This is His promise to those who put their life in His hands.
Dear Lord, thank you that when the garden You sewed me into turned into thorny, hard ground, You sent others to sew fresh seed and to water and feed it. I have grown and flourished by Your grace and mercy, fed by Your Word and watered by Your Holy Spirit. I pray that in Your Name the seed I sew will flourish. Amen.
A Little Bit About Heather:
Psalm 139 says that even before the earth was formed, He saw me(and YOU). Knowing that, gave me a sense of purpose and I realised I was not ‘an accident’. Many of us grow up believing we are not special, chosen or sometimes, even wanted. I am committed to sharing with others that God loves them and wants them. I want to help others to fulfil their potential, through the truth of the Bible,and take up the offer that Jesus has for each one of us.
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Heather, you are such a sweet friend and such a blessing! Thank you for sharing your words with us today!
It is such an honor to watch Real Women, Real Life, Real Faith in action every week here for the Godly Gals series! I am truly humbled by the women that share their hearts here and can’t wait to see what God has in store for us all on this next step of the journey!
Maybe, for you, that’s writing something for the series…if God has been nudging your heart to share in the Godly Gals series, then the first step is to simply send me an email at melsworldministry {at} gmail {dot} com. I’ll send you a copy of the submission guidelines, answer any questions you might have, then get you set up on the calendar to post when you are ready.
This year is just beginning and there’s so much more in store…I can’t wait to hear from you!
PS – Don’t forget…it’s unofficially GIRLFRIENDS WEEK here in Mel’s World and I’m giving away a few great goodies.
Make sure to go to each post and comment to put your name in the hat for;
