Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
July 1, 2024
Galatians 6:7-9
7 Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant. 8 Those who plant only for their own benefit will harvest devastation from their selfishness, but those who plant for the benefit of the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. 9 Let’s not get tired of doing good because, in time, we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up.
Good Morning! Oh, what a beautiful morning! Thanks be to God!
When we arrived at our first appointment as a pastor’s family, we were blessed by the generosity of our members, who had gardens. I would find all kinds of goodies on my front doorstep: tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, watermelon . . . This tradition has followed us as we moved from church to church.
Verse 9 reminds me of the plant that takes time to produce its fruit. As a gardener, I am challenged to pull up a perfectly healthy-looking plant. Over the years, I have had flowers that grew but never flowered, and I wondered at some point if they ever would bloom. About the time I forgot that they should bloom, beautiful flowers appeared one summer.
When we were in Southside Virginia, there were many timber farmers, and I noticed signs notating when a field of trees was planted. It takes great patience to raise timber. Trees take at least 15-20 years to reach maturity, unlike raising crops with a several-month growing period. In your lifetime, you might have three harvests.
Christians are like this. Paul reminds us that some harvests take a long time, but we can’t give up because if we nurture and support others, they will eventually mature. If we provide good soil, water, and fertilizer to those new to the faith, Christ provides the light so that they can grow to maturity. Only then can they become fruitful and multiply.
Creator God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. We are impatient. We want to reap the fruits of our labors sooner rather than later. We forget that some things take time to grow. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God will provide the seeds for the sower.
Tend your garden by sharing your blessings! Pastor Liz
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