December 16
For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11
After a snow storm that turned into an icy mix yesterday, the temperature this morning is well below freezing and outside everything is frozen, cold and barren; icicles hang from every roof, overhang and tree branch. The birds and squirrels show their little faces briefly and quickly return to a place that is snug and warm. It’s pretty hard to think about Spring right now, even though we yearn for sunny, warm days; for the scent of flowers and grasses, for the taste of freshly grown vegetables and fruits. We yearn to be able to move about freely, unencumbered by heavy clothes and bad weather. Last summer’s flowers and garden vegetables are a distant memory, but having that memory enables us to remain hopeful that this frozen world will spring to life once again.
In the seasons of the earth, God is teaching us about the cycle of life. He is teaching us to look forward in hope and to carry on in faith knowing that He will renew all things; that there is a time for everything. Throughout the seasons we not only see the beauty of each one, but also we witness the reason for each one; for each has its place in time. It makes us think about the timing of any situation in our lives that we wish could be changed more quickly. How awesome to think that God will make righteousness spring forth – at its proper time! As with envisioning a lush garden in winter though, without faith, it is difficult to imagine a time of complete goodness, when all around us we see so much injustice and lack of praise for our Creator. God tells us this will change. He will make righteousness and praise spring up once more.
Somewhere in our souls we remember. We remember peace and love; and a time when we were unceasingly praising God. We instinctively want to go back to that place and God inspires us to work toward that goal. We plant seeds of righteousness with every act of goodness and peace we sow. We plant seeds of praise with every word of gratitude we speak. As a garden grows in rich soil, our seeds of faith blossom on this earth in Christ; for in Christ’s love, like the earth warmed by the sun even in the midst of winter, melting icicles into precious life-giving water to be utilized in the spring to sprout the seeds - our hearts nurture the seeds of caring, kindness and integrity as they grow to fruition in His time. With God, our works help to bring this garden - this earth back to Him.
God of all creation, we praise your Holy Name as you help us carefully cultivate the seeds of righteousness you have planted in our hearts.
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson