The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)
Google “the secrets of a good garden” and you will find the following need attention:
Soil: An important ingredient of growing a garden is the proper preparation of the soil. One of the biggest factors when it comes to healthy soil is its pH because if the soil is too acidic or too alkaline then your plants will have a much harder time growing and getting nutrients from the soil. If you know that your soil is too acidic, for example, then you can add lime to the soil to help balance the pH. In the parable of the sower Jesus identified four types of soil which are worth studying and applying. Hosea also reminds us:
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12 (NASB)
Weeds: From the very beginning, weeds have been a symbol of mankind’s disobedience to God. Weeds choke plants, creating an atmosphere where growth can be impossible. In Jesus’ parable, weeds, identified as the cares of life, rose up and choked the seedlings before they could bear fruit.
And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. Mark 4:7 (NASB)
They will overtake us unless their roots are yanked.
Light: Any experienced gardener will tell you that sunshine is essential for the growth of plants. Plants grow towards the light. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants draw energy directly from the sun and store that energy in the form of fruit. The Scripture says that God is light and we are to walk in the light. We cannot expect to be fruitful if we live in darkness.
Pruning: Pruning is essential in maintaining the health and fruit-bearing ability of any plant or tree. God prunes away those things in our lives that have become old and useless. Sometimes that pruning is the removal of our ‘old ways’ of the world. By so doing, the Lord knows that we will grow healthier, and stronger.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ” John 15:1-2 (NIV)
Water: Water is the most important thing we have been given by God to support our life system. We can go many days without food and live, but without water, we will be dead in a few short days. Water is a key element in growing a garden. Both seeds and plants need adequate moisture to grow. Water is symbolic of the Word of God. Isaiah said:
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10 (NIV)
You will be like a well-watered garden. How is your garden looking today? The best way to grow a lush and healthy garden is to keep it under the care of the master gardener.