God: The Perfect Planter

As the Master Gardener, God isn't satisfied with simply preparing the soil of our hearts.  He does not prepare our hearts to receive truth only to abandon us.  He doesn't put the tools away and lock the garden gate.  No, He continues to work, planting seeds of truth to bring our spiritual garden to life.

As a still-have-a-lot-to-learn gardener, I don't know that much about planting seeds.  Yet, I do know the basics.  To thrive, seeds must...

• be planted in the right kind of soil
• be placed at the right soil depth
• be situated to receive appropriate sunlight
• be spaced adequately apart
• be distanced from certain other plants

Let's consider those one at a time over the next few blog posts.

Seeds must be planted in the right kind of soil.  Most gardeners, I believe, aim for the standard:  a rich, loose loam--soil with nearly equal proportions of sand, clay, and organic material.  Many gardeners, however, must begin with the sandy or clay soils on their property.

I've gardened with all three types: my third garden plot had heavy clay soil that stifled root growth and clung to my boots.  I tried to amend the soil with compost, but my efforts were only marginally successful.  My tomatoes and peppers produced moderately well, but my root crops failed miserably.

My fourth garden plot had sandy, rocky soil.  As a result, water and nutrients quickly left my garden and my vegetable plants produced little.  My efforts didn't pay off well.  

My current garden plot has soil that's nearly perfect.  The blades of my tiller cut easily through the rich, dark soil.   Because of this, the soil retains water well--but not too well--and allows excellent root growth.  The organic matter in the soil also nourishes the growing plants.  It's a joy to sow in great soil, knowing that the seeds are bound to thrive.

As mentioned in my last blog post, God works faithfully to prepare the soils of our hearts to receive the truth. If we allow Him to work, God will ensure that our hearts are prepared to accept those seeds.  No, His work of preparation won't make us immediately ready for all truth.  After all, most of use are cursed with sandy or clay soils that aren't suitable for nourishing seeds of truth.  But as we yield to His spade, God will faithfully plant the seeds--in the right place at the right time.  If we let Him, God will place seeds of truth where they are certain to spring in to life.