Our Urban Garden: The Water of the Word
Many times in scripture, the Word is symbolized as water. And just like my hydrangea plants, if we don’t adequately water ourselves with the water of the Word, we will shrivel and die.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
In updating my new writing blog, I wanted to share some of my favorite gardening articles from the archives. Originally published in 2013 and featured in CoffeeshopGirl, this second installment of Our Urban Garden series teaches believers the numerous benefits of being nurtured regularly by the Water of God’s Word.
Enjoy! -Mica
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Late yesterday afternoon, I noticed the lush bright pink flowers on my hydrangea plant had dropped considerably. Thinking that perhaps the flower head had reached its full life expectancy, I didn’t think too much about it. However, later in the evening, the entire bush had shriveled. The leaves were wilted, the flowers droopy, and the entire bush looked weak and sick. I then noticed the other hydrangea bush was starting to show some of the same signs of weariness. At this point, I was concerned about my new little “babies,” so Jeff and I took them inside for some extra care.
We spent half an hour researching problem care for container hydrangeas and couldn’t quite figure out what had made them so sick. The day was chilly, but the air wasn’t too frigid to kill them. There was plenty of sunshine on the balcony, and they had just gotten a showering of water from the rainstorm on Saturday. What was the problem?
During our reading, both Jeff and I discovered that hydrangeas are extra thirsty plants. I’ve been a little wary to overwater my plants, because books and experts alike have warned me that many houseplants die from overwatering as much as under-watering. But when I looked at the pictures in my gardening manual depicting an under-watered plant, I saw the same overall withered look in my hydrangeas. After finger testing the soil, I decided that maybe my hydrangeas needed some extra water after all. So, for better or worse, I took my pink spritz bottle, filled it up, and gently watered the soil of my sad hydrangeas. For extra measure, I even spritzed some of the leaves in hopes of reviving these poor bushes that so bravely entered the home of a newbie gardener.
To my surprise, when I woke up this morning, my pink hydrangeas had revived completely! The flower heads were tall and stately, their soft pink petals alive and perky. The leaves had unfurled, and the bush had an overall healthy, vibrant appearance. Imagine, all that life came back with just a little bit of water!
WASHING OF WATER BY GOD’S WORD
As I was pondering this miracle of life, I was reminded of the necessity of water in our own spiritual lives. Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Many times in scripture, the Word is symbolized as water. And just like my hydrangea plants, if we don’t adequately water ourselves with the water of the Word, we will shrivel and die. The Word is our strength, our cleansing agent, our food, and our sustenance. Without it, we cannot grow, we cannot produce fruit, we lose our luster and brilliance, and we shrink back from living in our full potential. The Word is the power source behind every brilliant, steadfast Christian!
The Word is our strength, our cleansing agent, our food, and our sustenance. Without it, we cannot grow, we cannot produce fruit, we lose our luster and brilliance, and we shrink back from living in our full potential. The Word is the power source behind every brilliant, steadfast Christian!
Sadly, many Christians take for granted the watering process of the Word. We think if we hear the Word once or even twice that we are guaranteed to grow and produce fruit. But that is not the case. Like all living things, we need constant and continual watering.
For the past several months, I have been meditating on the power, authority, and value of God’s Word. During this time, my love of God’s Word has been rekindled into a burning fire. I have rediscovered a grateful reverence for my Bible and have awakened a deep desire for the feeding of the Word. And in this time of reflection, study, thinking, probing, and meditating, my spiritual life has taken on a whole new growth pattern. My leaves are shiny and bright, my fruit is strong and beautiful, and my life is strong and upright. The Word has rejuvenated me, brought me life, and stimulated new growth. I am different because of the watering of the Word!
PRIORITIZING GOD’S WORD
Sometime last fall, as I was studying on the benefits of staying in the Word, I came across a text book we had read while in Bible school at Rhema, called How to Study the Word: Taking the Bible from the Pages to the Heart by Terry Lawson. I began incorporating that book into my own devotional time and was inspired by the multitude of scriptures listed that dealt with the topic of God’s Word. It’s phenomenal how much God’s Word speaks about itself!
From this renewed appreciation and pursuit of God’s Word, I’ve changed some priorities in my life. I don’t see things the same way as I did a year ago, nor do I think the same way. Why? Because I’ve grabbed a hold of the Word of God with every ounce of my being. I’ve always been a student of the Word, and I’ve always cherished my daily devotional times. Now more so than ever, I am hungry for the life in the Word. I desire it, I long for it, I need it. Just like my pink hydrangeas, I am tall and sprightly because of the water of the Word.
SHOP THIS! NIV Bible (Photo Credit: DaySpring)
The Psalmist wrote: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:2-3). In the book of Joshua, God gave the following instructions to His children: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8) In both scriptures, success came as a result of meditating in God’s Word.
In John 15, Jesus even talked about the importance of a branch continually abiding in the Vine. And guess what? He said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). The secret to a prevailing prayer life and a successful Christian walk is found in the faithful hearing and daily application of God’s Word.’
RELATED: Our Urban Garden: Replanting and Rebuilding - A Reminder from My Lilac Bush
BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN GOD’S WORD
Let me leave you with a few additional insights from Psalm 119. As you may recall, Psalm 119 is almost entirely dedicated to honoring God’s Word. If you haven’t read it in a while, I encourage you to go back through that chapter and see for yourself how awesome God’s Word really is! In this chapter, we find a plethora of benefits of spending time in God’s Word:
•God’s blessing is upon us if we observe and do His Word (verse 1-5)
•Treasuring God’s Word in our hearts keeps us from sin (verse 9-11)
•God’s Word gives us counsel (verse 24)
•Spending time in God’s Word produces reverence for God (verse 38)
•God’s Word keeps us from shame (verse 46)
•God’s Word comforts and revives us (verse 50)
•God’s Word causes us to give thanks (verse 61-62)
•God’s Word teaches us discernment and knowledge (verse 66)
•God’s Word preserves us from destruction (verse 87)
•God’s Word keeps us spiritually recharged (verse 93)
•God’s Word gives us wisdom and understanding (verse 88-100)
•God’s Word gives joy to our hearts (verse 111)
•God’s Word sustains us and gives us life (verse 116)
•God’s Word keeps sin from having dominion over us (verse 133)
•God’s Word is our delight in the face of trouble (verse 143)
•God’s Word pleads our cause and rescues us (verse 153-154)
•God’s Word fills us with peace and keeps us from stumbling (verse 165)
•God’s Word brings us back when we stray (verse 176)
God’s Word has the ability to revive you, the truth to correct you, and the wisdom to guide you. And even when you think you’ve already had enough Bible time, go back and soak some more. God’s Word is your secret to life!
If you are feeling a little discouraged or dull, I encourage you to take a spiritual bubble bath. Soak in God’s Word, and let the faucet of the supernatural, life-transforming power in God’s Word run its rejuvenating water all over you. If you’re weary, anxious, sad, and troubled, go get your Bible and start reading God’s promises to you. If you’re facing trouble, or if you need wisdom on how to deal with family or marriage situations, God’s Word has the counsel you need! If you’re tempted to sin, if you’re stressed on the job, if you’re worried about tomorrow, go soak in God’s Word.
God’s Word has the ability to revive you, the truth to correct you, and the wisdom to guide you. And even when you think you’ve already had enough Bible time, go back and soak some more. God’s Word is your secret to life!
If you’ve enjoyed this article, I’d love to hear from you! Email your comments to mica@micaolinghouse.co.
Also, if you need prayer or would like to receive a Bible free of charge, please let me know. Our ministry, New Life Metro Ministries International, would love to pray for you and send you a Bible!
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