• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Inspirational Author and Greeting Card Writer

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Rebecca
    • Contact
    • MEDIA
    • FAQ
  • Books/Store
    • Mornings with Jesus
    • DAY-VOTIONS® BOOK SERIES:
    • 40 Days
    • Daily in your Presence Series
    • Meditations for Lent and Easter
    • Courage for the Chicken Hearted
    • Marriage Toners
    • At Home in My Heart
  • Greeting Cards
    • Articles
  • Freebies
    • Resources

Finding God in the Garden

by Rebecca Barlow Jordan

finding God in the garden, God is Always Waiting to Help Us De-Weed Our Gardens

Finding God in the Garden is easy. When springtime rolls around, it’s hard for me not to write about my favorite season. Visions of pink and blue hydrangeas, white gardenias, yellow daylilies, coral heuchera, and purple petunias dance in my head. Every year I save up for colorful replacements or new varieties.

There are some things about this time of year, however, that can destroy its beauty–if I let it.

You guessed it: weeds. You can tell by this picture in my backyard garden that some flowers are blooming. But most of those green shoots covering the ground and invading the good plants? Weeds! Unfortunately, just like most of the plants in my gardens, those weeds are perennial.

The sun may eventually kill the shallow ones, though my garden is mostly shady. And mulch will cover up some of the green invaders. But only for a while. Others will soon take their place. If I let them grow wild and don’t pull them out as soon as they pop up, they will soon choke out the beauty and the fragrance of my garden.

Finding God in the Garden of Our Lives

That’s true of our spiritual gardens as well: in our marriage, our relationships, our family–no matter where, God will guide us and help us to weed our gardens.That’s true of my spiritual garden as well. Think about these areas of life and the power of weeds left untended:

Marriage

Putting self first, ignoring our mate’s needs, allowing other priorities to sneak in, failure to nurture each other, or neglecting the power of prayer and oneness in the relationship are just a few of the weeds that can destroy a marriage.

Family

Giving family last place, failing to nourish and guide children, ignoring spiritual instruction, allowing work, hobbies, or other activities to crowd out quality time, or pushing performance rather than character building can all destroy the blossoming beauty of our children.

Thoughts and Words

The heart is like a wild garden. Unwholesome or angry thoughts can lead to ungodly weeds of hurtful words and destructive actions. Who wants those kind of plants growing perennially in their gardens?

Relationships

Hate, revenge, pride, or unforgiveness grow ugly weeds. Left to grow on their own, they will consume the most beautiful of relationships in record time.

Spiritual Growth

Whether married or single, no matter how much time we spend in Bible study, prayer, or quiet moments reflecting about God, we can succumb to weedy temptations if we don’t root them out as soon as they appear. Allowing the Holy Spirit to check our hearts daily and keep the beauty of our relationship with Jesus growing strong through confession and praise is a great “organic” weed killer.

Maintaining Beautiful Gardens

I’m not fond of weeding my gardens. But I’ve seen the result of weeds left untended up close and personal. I know their destructive power both in my backyard garden, and in the garden of my heart. I refuse to allow what God has planted to die an unnatural death, simply because of my laziness or neglect.

If I feel too weak to pull out the most powerful weeds with deep roots, I won’t hesitate to cry out to Jesus for help.

My Perennial Prayer

I want my marriage and home to keep the fragrance of God’s beauty in every room. I want my family to experience God’s extravagant love and grace and to guard against unhealthy priorities. I desire for every relationship God brings into my life to reflect Jesus. And my constant, perennial prayer is that God would make me aware of anything in my life that would keep my spiritual growth dwarfed or overtaken by harmful weeds.

This year, and every year, my prayer for you is that you will enjoy the beauty of springtime in your heart (and in your garden if you have one) that God wants for you. Our “gardens” all look different. But God created them to reflect His workmanship.

God Is Always Waiting to Help

One thing I can always count on: I always find God waiting in my garden, eager to help me.

How is your garden growing?

…thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins (Proverbs 24:31, NIV).

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).

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” (John 15:1, NIV).

How is your garden growing? How do you weed your garden?

You can find out about more helps about finding God in these blogs: Finding God in the Outdoors, Finding God in the Outdoors – Private Sanctuaries, and Finding God in the Outdoors – His Creativity.

Related Posts

  • When You Need to Know Where God Wants YouWhen You Need to Know Where God Wants You
  • One Thing You Can Do to Heal Your CountryOne Thing You Can Do to Heal Your Country
  • A Valentine Prayer Letter to My SpouseA Valentine Prayer Letter to My Spouse
  • When You Can’t See the Beauty for the MessWhen You Can’t See the Beauty for the Mess
  • Five Ways to Solve Irrational FearFive Ways to Solve Irrational Fear
  • 5 Things Your Grandchildren (and Children) Need from You5 Things Your Grandchildren (and Children) Need from You
« Previous
Next »
rebecca-headshot

You are so important to me! As an inspirational author and day-voted follower of Jesus, my passion is to help you see God bigger and to deepen your intimacy with Him. I love to paint encouragement on the hearts of others just like you.

8 Ways to Grow Closer To God book cover

Free! Subscribe and receive a copy of 8 Ways to Draw Closer to God.

Recent Posts

  • A Prayer for Anxiety and Stress
  • What If You Can’t See God’s Footprints?
  • Good or Bad Friday?
  • Palm Sunday
  • Five Ways to Redress Your Stress
© 2017 Rebecca Barlow Jordan. All rights reserved.   ·   website by Stormhill Media

© 2018 Jeanette Morris. All rights reserved.   ·   website by Stormhill Media

Tweet