In twenty-seven years at this house, I've never planted either sunflowers or zinnias. The two photos above were taken at different times this summer in flower pots planted with either nothing (the sunflower) or something else (the zinnia). We don't have any close neighbors, and Bill promises he didn't plant them, and so I must credit a passing bird. Yet I know the ultimate Source, the One Who is in charge of all the birds and all the soil and all the seeds on earth. And what a perfect example for me (at just the right time, of course!) of His grace.
The Biblical meaning of grace is usually expressed as "the unmerited favor of God towards man" (www.biblestudytools.com). I certainly did nothing to deserve these two happy surprises in my yard in the midst of an especially miserable, hot summer. Once I discovered them, however, I watered them, believing I would eventually see their colorful blossoms. God provided plenty of sunshine for them, but it took time for them to bloom, and I confess I grew impatient with the waiting.
From Genesis to Revelation, God has been displaying His "unmerited favor" to man in countless ways. The most priceless gift of His grace was this: from the beginning He gave us choice; we chose disobedience; He then gave us the Only Way out of eternal punishment-- the death and resurrection of His only Son Jesus as the substitutionary payment for our disobedience. The grace is, we can do nothing to merit this "salvation" if you would; it is a free gift-- we have only to accept it.
The question then becomes, what do we do with it? Do we bloom where we are planted and brighten the lives of those around us like the seeds in my yard? If you have trusted Jesus, accepted His FREE gift of salvation from your sins, try thinking of yourself as that empty pot (or plot) of soil. Someone (It will be different for all of us.) planted the seed by sharing the Gospel with you. Others God put in your life (family, a church, friends, or even strangers) watered, but God gave the sunshine (the Light) and nutrients in the soil (the Bread of Life) which made that seed grow and bloom! Without the sunshine, water, and nutrients the seed will die or never even develop. With those elements, it will bloom to brighten someone's day, and even mature to produce seeds of its own to blossom into even more bright spots in someone else's garden! As Paul expressed it,
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."
(1 Corinthians 3:6 ESV)
The choice is ours, my friend, but the time is growing short. Autumn is coming, and soon follows the winter when seeds will grow dormant and the sun will wane. We are not guaranteed the next moment, much less another Summer's growing season, so please don't wait!
"And he said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.'”
(Revelation 21:6-8 ESV)
*Author's Note: This post is given to you with sincerest love, coming only from His grace to me. I post it with fervent prayer that it may plant a seed in someone's heart who needs Jesus. If you are hearing this message for the first time and would like further guidance, please either request help in the comments or contact me via Facebook Messenger, or seek out a church or pastor or believing friend near you. If you know someone who needs this message, I would be humbly honored by your sharing it.
"He must increase and I must decrease."
John 3:30
✝️
