Lesson’s from a Scarecrow – The Garden

Genesis 1:11-13 (NIV)

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

The garden is God’s place where we fulfill His calling.  Man was created in the beginning, and placed in the garden.  His first encounter with God took place there, and, unfortunately, sin began in the garden.  God cursed the ground because of man’s sin in the garden, but He also gave hope and a divine promise for restoration in the garden.

The garden’s prominence did not begin and end in Eden.  Nearly 4000 years after man’s first transgression of the holy commandment, Jesus the Christ knelt in the garden of Gethsemane, agonizing, over the will of his Father in heaven and declaring with droplets of blood on his forehead, “Father, nevertheless, not my will, but Thine.”

The garden can be a place of hope, of decision, and a place of betrayal.  The garden has both good and bad in it.

Many around the world love to plant, grow, and tend the garden.  Gardening can be an adventure in your own back yard. Let’s see what Christian life lessons we can learn from composting, planting, pruning, harvesting, and yes, even weeding!

We are called together by our Lord Jesus Christ to work diligently in the harvest field of souls each year, living and loving God’s creation. Let’s see what we can learn as we embark on this journey together in the garden, let’s see what we can learn from God’s word.

Dear Lord, we thank You for nature and the opportunity we have to work the ground and bring forth a crop and then a harvest. Help us learn the lessons that You have for each of use. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.