1 John 1:5 (NIV)
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to
you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
I didn't know one of my jobs as the scarecrow was to stand here in this hot Florida sun. But I have
noticed the difference it makes for each one of these plants.
Any experienced gardener will tell you that sunshine is
essential for the growth of plants. The
sunshine warms the earth, so that the seeds can be softened by moist soil, and
then it germinates. Sunshine plays an important
role in the growth cycle of plants.
Germination does not take place unless the seed has been transported to
a favorable environment where there is adequate water, oxygen, and a suitable
temperature. Differing species of plants
germinate best in different temperatures; as a rule extremely cold or extremely
warm temperatures do not favor the germination of seeds. Some seeds require adequate exposure to light
before germinating.
The scripture says that God is light (1 John 1:5), and
there is no darkness in Him. God is our
sunshine, He is the one whose light causes the seed of His word to germinate in
our hearts, come to life from our dormancy, and bring upward growth of the
planting. Without the light of God’s
revelation, the seed (word) is lifeless, dead, and unable to become alive in
us.
Sunlight can bring life and growth to plants, or it can
result in the death of a plant. If the
sun becomes too hot, or there is inadequate moisture for the plants during a
hot season, the plants will wither and die.
It is possible to plant seeds too deep in the soil that
they cannot germinate and reach the soil surface where the warmth of the
sunshine helps germination. Seeds can
also be planted too shallow, so that when the sun shines upon the tender
seedlings, they don’t have enough root to withstand the heat. This speaks of those who have not allowed the
word of God to be properly planted in their heart. They have not counted the costs of walking
with God, so that when trials and temptation come, they wither in the sunlight
of God:
It is always disappointing when a little plant withers
and dies. All the time that goes into
preparing the soil, and planting the seed makes you become attached to the plants. How the Lord must be so hurt and disappointed
when we don’t allow His word to go deep in our hearts, and we fall away from
the source of His light and life. God
loves us, and He does want anyone of us to perish:
Sunshine is also needed for the bearing of fruit. Without adequate sunshine, the plants will
not grow blossoms, and without blossoms, the plant cannot bear fruit or
vegetables. It is amazing at how quickly
plants grow in my garden when there is plenty of sunshine. As long as I am faithful to water the plants,
God’s sunshine does the rest. How
amazing! We simply plant the seed, and
God’s light causes it to grow.
This is a good lesson for us as believers. We need to simply look to God, His word and
His Spirit and allow Him to mature us. Let His light shine in us and through us
so that we can grow into the Christian He wants us to be.
Dear Lord we thank You for being our Sunshine. Help us to
use that Light in our life to bear great fruit for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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