We moved into our home almost 5 years ago. Not only were we beyond amazed by how God led us to it (that’s a testimony for another time), but, we fell in love with the house itself as it had plenty of room for our family of 7 (at the time); it was located near my hubby’s job and the kids’ schools; and it had a number of fruit trees that the previous owner planted (along with a fancy sprinkler system).
The first year we were here, we watched the oranges and plums grow on the trees, but we were unsure as to what type of trees the others were. We eventually learned that we also had a peach tree and two cherry trees. There is just something about watching those trees bear fruit. You’d think that after the first couple of years, I’d get used to it. Nope. It’s like the more I get to know who God is and who I am not, I am more amazed every year by this process of bearing fruit. This year, Southern California has experienced a super bloom due to all the rain that we had this year. Residents and tourists have taken to state parks where wildflowers are blooming everywhere! This super bloom is not just limited to state parks, but in our own front yard, one of our trees bore a bunch of cherries!
Watching this process, God opened my eyes to some things. God provided this home where the owners before us planted the trees and installed a sprinkler system to water them. We turned off the sprinkler system as God was provided more than enough water through the rain. We did nothing. We just sat back, watched, and God provided.
In January, there were leaves on our cherry trees. Then, all of a sudden (it seemed), I saw blossoms and soon after that, full grown leaves. It seemed like I blinked and in mid-April, I saw a bunch of green fruit. Within two weeks, we had red cherries ready for harvest.
It made me think of how we tend to struggle and strive to make ends meet, to make a name for ourselves, or to make a difference in this world. We tend to think that we are the ones that are making things happen, but in fact, we are not. We are mere participants in God’s sovereign plan. We are His servants. Of course,
God still asks us to make an effort. Sometimes it’s small, sometimes it’s hefty, but even in that, He gives us the power to put forth the effort. And we ought to do what he tells us out of obedience and joy for what He has done for us. But the point is, why worry? He gives what we need, and He gives the increase. On the flip side, why have the audacity to be arrogant? We haven’t done anything that He hasn’t given us the strength or power to do. It is He Who gives the increase.
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. I Corinthians 3: 5-9 ESV
I am not suggesting that we throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak, by living in complacency. Putting forth the effort toward something God has asked us to do is still a choice. We can choose to obey or disobey, so I think valiant efforts ought to be celebrated. But, at the same time, when we make mistakes, we ought to humbly accept responsibility (and forgiveness) for our actions or inactions. But understand that we cannot thwart God’s work. He is the one that gives the increase, causes things to grow, and gives beauty for ashes. Not sure about you, but this gives me a clearer perspective from which to view things. As a mom, I can often think I’m not “doing enough”. I look at the world and wonder if I have adequately prepared them to operate successfully in it. I haven’t. But, I know with the few seeds I have planted and the yelling, oops, I mean the watering 😊 I have done, the Lord is going to do great things in my babies because they are His and it is He who gives the increase. Wow…all this from looking at a cherry tree! Who knew?
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