SPIRITUAL GROWTH

As much of society becomes less agrarian, we lose so much. The connection between mankind and the soil leads to much wisdom. Many biblical parables and stories, involve simpler times, when people were more connected to the weather, the soil and people lived with the lack of modern conveniences. People were dependent on lamps and lanterns for light, wells and other natural water sources for much of their water needs. Even the value of shade from the sun, is often missed by people who spend much of their lives indoors.
 
It would be good to take a moment and reflect on some of what is important that gets missed nowadays. One such subject is seeds. One cannot get a new plant from an immature seed. The seed literally must come to its full end, before new life can come from it. In other words, it is just as Jesus said about a grain of wheat.

• John 12:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

 
For new life to come, part of the process is death. It is the same with becoming born-again. Unless we die to the flesh, our evil side, the spiritual birth cannot happen.
 
Another important lesson comes from almost all living fruit and vegetable plants. As a plant matures, it makes blooms which turn into fruits or vegetables. And the process continues, new growth, new blooms and new results. For plants that live continuously year after year, they need pruning to help the process. Consider the following verse.

• John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

 
When we become Christians, we must stay closely connected to the Lord, as He is the vine and we are the branches. The verses in John 15 are reflective of grape vines, and these vines need to be pruned every year. Each new season, the grapes mostly come from new growth. The Gardner prunes and directs the vines thus directing the plant energy, making the best produce. This is a great lesson for us. Similarly for me, I think of growing tomatoes. Where we live, the climate allows us to grow them all year sometimes. They stop producing when it gets too hot, but if we prune them back in the fall, they start to grow again, and we can get more harvest from them. The tomatoes, whether in spring or fall, only produce from the new growth.
 
We must stay intimate with the Lord and grow in our relationship with Him. Being pruned is not pleasant! But it is the only way to continue to produce the kind of life that comes from growing in Christ. The branches that do not cooperate with the Gardner (Father God) wither or end up removed. So we must do our part and stay close to the Holy Spirit and let Him direct and grow us forward.
 
It is a natural tendency to be like the 3rd scenario with the Sower and the seed. In this case, the ground receives the seed and the plant springs up but gets choked out by thorns. The thorns represent the pitfalls that come against us all. These thorns are the “cares of this world,” the “deceitfulness of riches,” the “desires for the pleasures of life” and the “desires for other things” that choke the plant out and the fruit never comes to maturity.
 
In order to be the one that produces, we must be like case number four. They hear the Word and understand it, they accept it and with good and noble hearts keep it and grow to fruition. They bear fruit with patience, 30/60/100 fold.
 
We must receive not only the Gospel, but the truth of God’s Word for our lives as the Holy Spirit gives us understanding. We must care enough to stay on track and not get caught up like case #3. The busy-ness of life, the lure of prosperity and the pleasures of this world can make a heart grow cold toward caring about the Lord, His truths and ways and even caring about the souls of others. The Bible says a person who calls themself a believer but fails to live it, has forgotten where they came from. This is where pruning becomes vital, a matter of life and death. We must yield to the correction of the Lord and be revived! A plant cannot live and produce if the soil is poor, or it struggles for light and water. We are no different.
 
Salvation is a gift to us but we must die like the seed and be born-again. We must bear the fruit of the new life in Christ by cooperating with the Holy Spirit and staying intimate with the Lord. We must stay pruned and fresh, and resist the pitfalls of this world. And when we fall, we must get back up again, by the mercy and grace of the Lord, and continue on. And care for others as ourselves.
 
The more we connect to nature, observing the way God created flora and fauna, and considering the way all life functions, the closer we get to our Creator. There are many similarities between us and the rest of God’s creation, proving that we have the same amazing Creator. By staying still outdoors and watching what goes on around us, we not only learn valuable lessons, but we truly relax, become smarter, and get back to the true values, the ones that really matter.  Glory to God for the amazing beauty of His creation!

E Cockrell and Carmen Pușcaș
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