EMERGE! ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’
A Season to Plant: Plant a Thought, Sow What?
March 11th, 2022
Luke 8:15, ‘The seed that fell into good, fertile soil represents those lovers of truth who hear it deep within their hearts. They respond by clinging to the Word, keeping it clear as they endure all things in faith. This is the seed that will one day bear much fruit in their lives.’ (TPT)
I don’t think we truly realize how powerful we as human beings really are. For instance, we can cause many things to blossom in someone’s mind just by the seeds we plant in their thoughts and in our own. We can make someone’s day, or we can ruin it. We also can have seeds of doubt, worry or fear cultivated in our minds by the thoughts arising from something we see or hear. Any spoken or written word can be sprinkled with just enough alarm or pizzazz or hysteria and suddenly a mountain has been erected from a molehill.
Take the news outlets, television stations, newspapers, social media. These past several years have been so tough, haven’t they? Remember when the pandemic first sprang to life? Almost overnight all the toilet paper had vanished off the shelves as did food, water, necessities, even gasoline. How did that occur? A few words were planted in the fertile soil of frenzy, then nurtured with nonsense and watered with worry, and from the small talk of apprehension, bloomed panic and madness. In no time at all, it was out of control, and it would continue for months that turned into a year and longer.
Today, a war is raging across the universe. People on foreign soil are literally fighting to survive, trudging for their lives and the lives of their family, desperately hoping to outrun evil. The world is watching, seated on its edge, wondering how deep the roots of dread and despair will grow. Our borders are threatened and our security appears to hang in the balance, and all the while, fields of distrust and dissension flourish in the dust of rumor and gossip.
There is an encouragement that can prevail, however, which silences our cares and concerns. God’s Word says in Philippians 4:4-9, ‘Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let your joy overflow! And let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near. Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ. Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always. Put into practice the example of all that you have heard from me or seen in my life and the God of peace will be with you in all things.’ (TPT) Let’s turn from the frenzy on the news and on social media, and instead plant words which cultivate peace and grow camaraderie and relationship. Today, no weeds; only love.
One of the greatest things you and I can ever do is BLOOM where we are PLANTED. Beautiful things grow from the fertile soil of a willing heart.
