The Lord is good to those who hope in Him, to those who seek Him. It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save. — Lamentations 3:25–26 NCV
Every gardener has done this. Several times...
That first warm week in the spring arrives, and every other commercial on TV announces someone’s annual spring plant sale. The bright, colorful array of flowers call our names, and before we know it, we’re at the nursery.
Against all logic, we snatch up as many plants as will fit in the back of our SUVs. (After all — we tell ourselves — if we wait until next week, the selection will be picked over!) Then we rush home and immediately plant our prizes, all the while hoping and praying that the weather will cooperate. Some of us — in both our excitement about the fresh, new garden and our denial of the calendar — are so proud of our early gardens that we even post photos online.
Then, even before a week goes by, another frost hits. Frantically, we drag our pots and containers inside, cover our new plants with sheets, and still lose some, if not all, of them. Then we shake our fists and vow, “never again!” And we keep that vow... until the following spring.
So what does this have to do with waiting quietly for God’s timing?
Everything!
It is wise to wait not just when buying our spring plants, but also in our decision making and general living of life.
When we’re starting a business, a ministry, or a relationship, changing a job, or making a major purchase, do we take a poll of our friends, or do we pray—and then quietly wait? How often do we, in our own impatience, move full steam ahead without God’s guidance or blessing?
When our impatience leads us to jump ahead of God, we cheat ourselves of His best and often live with regret that can haunt us for years. Seeking God, placing our hope in Him, and trusting His timing can be scary and downright hard. By reminding ourselves that He has our utmost benefit at heart and quietly waiting on Him, we will better hear His voice and know His will.
Precious Father, I confess that sometimes I want something more than I want You to be a part of it. Help me always take the step of trust and make time to seek Your best for my life. Give me faith and courage to wait quietly for Your perfect timing.
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Dirt Under Your Fingernails
You, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
— Isaiah 64:8
It truly is one of the mysteries of gardening: Why is that one-of-a-kind feeling of having dirt under your fingernails so satisfying?
Maybe you’ve started an afternoon in your garden like this: your hand tools — spade, trowel, fork, rake — placed at your side, gardening gloves on your hands (after all, they’re highly recommended for protection from cuts and abrasions), and rich soil waiting for your TLC. To fully experience this blessed moment, you make a conscious effort to hear the birds, take a deep breath of fresh air, smell the mustiness of the dirt, see the deep, dark soil — and see in your mind the burst of colorful vegetables and flowers that will be here one day. And that’s when the thought comes: Why am I wearing gloves? Off they come! Now, as you get dirt underneath your fingernails, you can truly be present in your garden, not sure why it is so satisfying to dig with your hands, yet savoring the feeling and getting dirty with abandon.
Our Creator God may have had the same sort of experience when He crafted you, when He knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13) or, to change to a dirtier metaphor, when He shaped you on His potter’s wheel.
Maybe you’ve seen a potter at work, kicking the flywheel with her foot to keep the platform turning, her hands free to work their magic, and her mind able to focus on the pot she’s making.
The clay is moist, leaving the same layer of dryness on a potter’s hands that a gloves-free gardener knows so well.
Anything that is handmade is extra special. God crafted you with His hands, and He probably got some of that clay under His nails as He enjoyed the satisfaction of pouring His heart into the treasure He was making.
Kind of like what you feel when you dig in the garden without your gloves and get dirt under your nails!
Almighty Creator God, it’s inconceivable that You — who keep the planets in their orbit — knit me together; You crafted me with Your hands. Like the psalmist, I marvel that I am fearfully and wonderfully handmade by You! You got dirt under Your fingernails as You crafted one-of-a-kind me. What amazing love.
Excerpted with permission from Devotions from the Garden by Miriam Drennan, copyright Thomas Nelson.
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Your Turn
Happy first day of Spring! Let’s wait on the Lord so He can bring forth His very best. And, as we do, let’s get our hands in the dirt and enjoy His beautiful creation! ~ Devotionals Daily