In the springtime, after the last frost, it is time to plant some garden vegetables. At the end of every gardening season when it's time to take down the tomato stakes, clean up the garden, etc., I vow never to plant another plant, trying to convince my wife that it is too much work and that we could buy the vegetables at the Farmer's Market and save money, what with the cost of the plants, fertilizer and insecticides. But when it's time to plant, she prevails and back to the job of planting I go. She helps, of course.
We planted tomatoes and peppers first and as always, I looked out the window the next morning at what we had planted. It is amazing! Somehow the plants take on a glow that seems to be almost luminescent. They stand up so tall and proud, reaching for the sun, and they look wonderful. At this point, I'm invested. It is my devout obligation and desire to see that these plants have a safe, healthy, productive life.
When I take such a pleasant view of the plants, it made me think of how God must feel when He looks down on His children. We are His plants, no, even more, we area His creation. The amount of work we do tending our plants, is miniscule compared to the investment that God has in each of us. He loves us all so much that He gave His only begotten Son to be crucified on Calvary's cross, giving assurance of eternal life to all who believe. He also sent the Holy Spirit into the world as a comforter, to dwell with His children, continually guiding and instructing us in paths of righteousness.
Some garden plants get what we call the blight and other diseases. There are dusts and sprays that are designed to keep them healthy but always, some of the plants fail and just fade away, losing their brightness and ultimately die. We know this is going to happen but it is always discouraging and sad to see them fail because we actually really care for them. How much greater is God's remorse when one of His children lose their luster and become contaminated by the sin so prevalent in the world. This breaks our fellowship with God and will blight us until we repent of our sins and ask God's forgiveness.
God's heart is grieved much more by the people of the world who never accept the salvation plan that He so painfully provided in His death on Calvary's cross to all who will believe. The garden plants that die are merely tossed into the compost pile, but all those who refuse to receive God's salvation plan must ultimately hear God say to them, "Depart from Me; I never knew you." They are then sentenced to the reality of eternal punishment in hell. God will save us from hell if we believe that He lived, that He died on the cross for the sins of mankind, that He was buried and resurrected , that we are sinners, and ask Him to save us. This will assure us an eternal home in Heaven.
If those tender tomato plants do as expected, our feeding, watering and spraying will allow them to ultimately produce wonderful, useful fruit. The bible tells us in John 15:5 that if we will abide in Him and allow Him to abide in us, we will bear much fruit. God also tells us in Ephesians 5:8 that we were once in darkness, but when we become His children, we are to walk as children of light. So, Christian brothers and sisters, let your light shine like those beautiful young plants seem to shine and produce fruits of the spirit, not letting the sinful blight of this world dull our relationship with God and destroy our witness for Him.
Gene Monk is a writer who lives in Dunbar.