The Rose Vine
Spring is here and for many people that means the gardening season has arrived. For me, spring is a fresh start to build on what did well in my garden last year and correct some mistakes that were made in the previous seasons. This year my plan was to move a rose bush that was planted in the middle of my backyard. I originally thought I had a bush but found out that it was a climbing rose, and with nowhere to climb the limbs just drooped over dragging onto the ground. I picked out a spot along my fence that got plenty of sunshine and would allow for the rose's vines to climb and spread along the fence and trees. This move would involve digging up around the roses root system and transplanting to the new spot.
I figured that little project wouldn't be too bad, maybe 30-40 minutes of work and done. What I didn't realize is that unlike rose bushes whose roots only go down maybe 8-10 inches into the ground. Climbing roses can go as far as 18 inches down and spread outward! What I thought would be a quick project turned into 3 hours of digging into clay soil trying to get to the end of the root system of my roses! Long story short I gave up after over two hours of digging with no end in sight, way past the 18 inches mark! I cut the roots at the lowest mark and transplanted the vines and prayed that the roots will overcome the shock and dig deep and grow again.
In Ephesians 3 there is a prayer that the apostle Paul writes for the reader of Ephesians. The gardener in me noticed one particular phrase that popped out for me. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. That you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19). Let's view those verses using gardening as our lens.
Planting the Seed of Faith
Many times Christ used the analogy of planting, farming, and gardening to describe how to grow in God. If you ask me I think gardening must be one of God's favorite all-time activities! The first part of our verse says "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith". Well then, how does Christ come to dwell in our hearts? When a person becomes saved they are born again from incorruptible seed "having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23)." Remember that the sower sows the word of God in our hearts and those of us that received that word are considered good ground (Mark 4:20).
Once we get past salvation and receiving the word, we now have to navigate life and Satan throwing everything at us to uproot the word that was planted. Growing in Christ will involve developing the root system that will allow us to withstand the cares of life and the wiles of Satan.
Digging Deeper: Surviving the Scorching Sun
Once we get past salvation and receiving the word, we now have to navigate life and Satan throwing everything at us to uproot the word that was planted. Growing in Christ will involve developing the root system that will allow us to withstand the cares of life and the wiles of Satan.
Digging Deeper: Surviving the Scorching Sun
In order to survive the withering heat of summer climbing roses will develop deep root systems that do two main things. The first is that the roots dig deep and cling to the earth so that when strong wind storms come they will not be uprooted and blown away. The second reason is that deep in the earth water can be found below the surface allowing for the vine to survive bouts of drenching heat so that the vine can survive the temperature changes and wait for when the weather becomes cooler. Paul's desire for the reader of Ephesians is that they would become rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. With that grounding in love comes an understanding of how deep and wide the love of Christ goes into a believer's life. That understanding of Christ's redeeming love will guard your heart against the trials of life.
In discussing the sower in Mark 4, Jesus mentioned that some would receive the word with gladness but when the sun came, the plant was scorched because it had NO DEPTH of earth. Tribulations and trials will come because of the word planted in our hearts. There is no way around that. In order to endure the scorching heat which will pass, the roots of the word and the love of Christ have to go deep into our very being. Jesus said that the ones that didn't make it had no root system in themselves so only endured for a time (Mark 4:17).
Digging Deeper: Planted by the Rivers of Living Water
Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night (Psalms1:2). For that person will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also SHALL NOT WITHER; and whatever he does shall prosper (Psalms 1:3). In order to enter into the kingdom of God, a person has to be born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). So what exactly does that mean to be born of water and the Spirit? Taking it back to basic gardening concepts, a plant needs water in order to survive and flourish. In order to flourish where would a believer (plant) get the water, it needs to be full?
In Isaiah 33:21 it says "But there the majestic Lord will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will sail". God has made clear throughout scripture that He is the living water, the river that flows throughout our being. Jesus during the last supper told the disciples that He would give us another Helper, the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Holy Spirit is our seal and guarantee of our heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). In talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus talks of the Holy Spirit as the living water.
"Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. The woman said to Him, Sir You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and livestock? Jesus answered and said to her, whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:10-14)."
Flourishing Fruit
The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to be filled with the fullness of God. In doing so we will produce much fruit that the Master can use to spread the kingdom of God. You know what is the beautiful thing about fruit, besides being delicious? Fruit can be replanted and reproduce more fruit according to its kind. God can use your life to produce much more than just what you see around you. Despite what you may feel right now continue to dig deep and become rooted and grounded in Christ our Lord.
