10 Spiritual Lessons from the Garden
The Bible frequently uses gardens, plants, and trees as examples of our spiritual state. Several verses mention fruitfulness and others that talk about being rooted in Christ. The life of the plant is in its roots. The flower soon dies when it is cut off from its roots. Here you will find 10 spiritual lessons from the garden.
- Matthew 7:17 tells us that every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
- We are all familiar with the parable of The Sower which stresses the importance of having a heart that is ready to receive the Word.
- Then there’s the word picture that Jesus paints in John 15 about the vine and its branches, teaching the importance of being plugged into Jesus, our power source. The branches hang on the vine and draw their life from it, likewise, our job is to hang onto Jesus and let Him live His life through us.
- Psalm 1:2, 3 tells us the importance of studying the Word of God and meditating on it day and night. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
- Jeremiah 17:7, 8 says 7 “blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” - Isaiah 58:11 tells us that if we give of ourselves to help those in need and do away with the accusing finger, judging, and gossiping-
11 “We will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
I Lack the Gardening Experience
I don’t have a lot of experience in gardening, so I hope I don’t disappoint anyone who may have come tonight to learn some answers to your gardening questions. I don’t even know the names of all the plants in my garden. When my garden begins to grow in the spring I am not always sure which plant is which, so I don’t do any weeding until I’m sure what is a flower and what is a weed.
Speaking of confusing flowers and weed, I am reminded of an incident twenty-five years ago. Paul and I ran a ministry in an Ontario Housing complex. We had a Sunday School program on Sunday afternoons and a Good News Club on Tuesday evenings.
Part of our ministry to the children was to visit them in their homes. On one of my visits, I noticed a plant growing in the living room. I said to the parent, “what a lovely plant, what is it?” She replied, “That’s a marijuana plant.” I hadn’t been taught proper protocol for a statement like that, so I said, “Well it’s a really nice one, as though I were an authority on it.
A couple of years ago Paul and I stayed at a B&B that was surrounded by a beautiful garden. In response to our complimenting the owners of the garden, the husband sheepishly stated, “The garden is my wife’s, I have been banned from tending to it. I am allowed to cut the grass but that’s all. I am not allowed to touch the flowers”.
At our puzzled expressions, he told us of how he had planned to surprise his wife by weeding the garden for her. It seems that he mistook her prized poppies for thistles and pulled them all out.
As I thought about what this well intentioned husband had done, I was reminded of several important lessons to be learned.
1. The Best Qualified
- The gardener or the owner of the garden is the best qualified to tend to it.
What might be a beautiful flower not yet matured, could be mistaken for a weed. What we may incorrectly think is a character flaw in our husband, child, family member or neighbor may be a beautiful trait that has not yet matured. Rather than judging or criticizing this person’s behavior, we would do well to pray for them and let God, the Gardner of their heart do the weeding.
Much damage can be done to young hearts when parents misunderstand their children. What may appear to be rebellion or disobedience may actually be hurt, fear, or confusion.
A generation or two ago when most mothers stayed at home with their children, they might have used the words, “wait till your father gets home” as a warning to their misbehaving child. Now with so many blended families by second marriages you might more likely hear, “He’s your child, you deal with him”.
A few months ago I was grumbling to myself about something my husband had done, or had forgotten to do, when the Lord reminded me of Romans 14:4 which reads, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
Having been corrected by the Holy Spirit, I tried hard not to criticize him anymore, but a few days later he did something again that frustrated me. When I was tempted to complain I stopped myself and said, “Lord, he’s your child, you deal with him.”
2. Diversity in the Plant World
Some plants need plenty of sunshine, yet others grow best in shade. Some thrive in rich damp soil, while others need dryer sandy soil. Some varieties of plants, for example, roses, like to have plenty of their own space, while others do well in a crowded garden.
Some plants need propping up against storms. For example, peonies and tall irises will bring great beauty to a garden until the first storm hits, and then you are likely to find them with their faces in the dirt. Yet some flowers stand tall and bright through most major storms.
Again, an experienced gardener knows best where to place each plant and what each plant needs for its best blooms.
Taking the analogy back to our hearts, we all worship and grow spiritually by different means. One may spend hours daily studying the Bible, but very little time in prayer. Another person may spend large blocks of time in prayer but very little time in Bible Study. Still, someone else may spend hours every day listening to sermons online or on CD.
The Gardener of our hearts meets us where we are and honors whatever method we use in spending time in His presence.
We all need different kinds of encouragement. Some people need a steady stream of compliments and an abundance of stroking to achieve well. Some need plenty of propping up during storms. A situation that would devastate one person may be a small irritation to another.
We all give and receive love in different ways, depending on our temperament and the environment in which we were raised. One person might like to be hugged, while another doesn’t want to be touched. One may want to be the center of attention, while another would be embarrassed if they were centered out.
One silently suffers alone, while another shares his problems with everyone, whether or not they want him to.
The Gardener of our hearts knows the conditions that each of us need to mature into the person He wants us to be. Our prayer might be that we would be able to discern how we can best be a good parent to each child, as each child in the same family is unique with different needs. We might pray that we would be a reflection of God’s love for each person we have a relationship with. We don’t always know what they need but we can pray that God would show us how He would best use us in their lives. Continue to learn more of the 10 spiritual Lessons from the Garden
3. The Importance of Weeding
Oh, how I hate the weeding!
Weeds need to be pulled out by the roots regularly or they will take over the garden. All of the roots must come out with the weed or it will grow back. I find the best time to weed is after heavy rainfall. The rain softens the soil allowing the weeds to be pulled out easier.
If weeds are left for too long they drop their seed and multiply quickly. Also, their roots either grow deep or spread out, making it necessary to dig them out with a shovel or weed puller leaving a hole in the ground.
Likewise, we need to be continually examining our hearts and pulling out the weeds that grow there- Weeds of complaining, jealousy, gossip, worry, anger, fear, and many more. The weeds are too numerous to mention. If we get too lazy or too busy to pay attention to the weeds in our hearts, they will multiply and grow deep roots.
Sometimes the Gardener of our hearts will allow a storm to come into our lives to soften our hearts so that He can pull out the weeds by the roots. When He has to do this, frequently we are left with a painful hole for a while until we heal. And sometimes we are left with a scar as a reminder to take better care of our hearts.
But we don’t have to wait for a storm to soften our hearts. We can water our hearts regularly with The Word. I have found that the best way to get rid of the weeds in my heart is to do a word study on whatever that weakness might be -using a concordance or entering the word into biblegateway.com.
If I am bothered by fear, I look up verses on “fear and trust”. If I’m overwhelmed with anxiety, I look up verses on “peace, refuge, and fortress”. If I am having a problem with forgiving someone, I look up verses on “anger, bitterness and forgiveness”. If my mouth is causing me some problems, I look up verses on “words, mouth, lips, tongue, and gossip”.
I write or print out these verses, and personalize them. Then I read them out loud to myself several times a day and meditate on what they are telling me. I work on memorizing them so that I have them readily available wherever I go.
I walk around doing my housework saying:
“I take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
“I fix my thoughts on Jesus the author and perfecter of my faith.”
Hebrew 12:2
“My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only He will release my feet from the snare.”
Psalm 25:15
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14
“Set a guard over my mouth O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Psalm 141:3
If you decide to do this in public, I would suggest that you hold your cell phone up to your ear so that people will think you are talking to someone and not think you are ready for the loony bin. Although with the new “hands-free” phones, you may get away with it.
Several months ago I asked the Lord to show me what was in my heart. Over the next several days I was shaken by what popped into my mind and came out of my mouth. I had been living with extreme stress for about a year, due to my mother-in-law’s illness.
On one occasion, in a tense situation, I threw such a fit that I shocked myself. I hadn’t behaved that way in at least two decades. Part of me was standing back watching myself behave badly, and saying, “Who is that person?”
I took this concern to the Lord and asked Him what was going on with me. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “You asked Me to show you what was in your heart.”
“Well ya, but I didn’t expect it to be shown in 3D, High Definition on the big screen in living color.” Yet if He had tried to tell me what was in my heart in any other way, I probably wouldn’t have believed Him.
Oh, how I hate the weeding!
4. Cutting back Produces More
Shrubs need to be cut back each fall to keep them nicely shaped and produce an abundance of flowers. Some flowering plants such as roses will produce a second and third bloom if they are cut back after they have flowered. Fruit trees need to be pruned frequently to increase the amount and quality of their fruit.
Cutting back in our lives is an agonizing, although productive experience. A decrease in income will make it necessary to cut back in our spending and alter our lifestyle. A decline in health may dictate a withdrawal in social activities. Both situations are not pleasant but are often how the Gardener of our hearts builds His character into our lives. Looking back we see that these are the times when we have grown most.
In the parable of the vine and its branches, Jesus teaches, I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1-2).
5. Non Productive Hoses
Shrubs need to be cut back each fall to keep them nicely shaped and produce an abundance of flowers. Some flowering plants such as roses will produce a second and third bloom if they are cut back after they have flowered. Fruit trees need to be pruned frequently to increase the amount and quality of their fruit.
Cutting back in our lives is an agonizing, although productive experience. A decrease in income will make it necessary to cut back on our spending and alter our lifestyle. A decline in health may dictate a withdrawal from social activities. Both situations are not pleasant but are often how the Gardener of our hearts builds His character into our lives. Looking back we see that these are the times when we have grown most.
In the parable of the vine and its branches, Jesus teaches, I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1-2).
6. Enemies of the Garden
-As already mentioned, a neglected garden will grow weeds that eventually choke out the plants.
A late frost may freeze the blooms on early flowering plants.
-Too much rain can cause the roots of plants to rot or not mature.
-Too much sun causes the plants to dry out and the bloom to die prematurely.
-Too much fertilizer can burn the roots of plants causing them to die.
-Wind carries seed beyond the borders of the garden into the lawn or other garden beds causing the plants to grow where they are not wanted.
-Potted plants may become root-bound and need to be moved to larger containers.
-Snails, slugs, bugs, or furry critters such as groundhogs and rabbits may eat the plants and prevent them from flowering or kill them completely.
-Well-intentioned husbands or uninformed tenders may confuse the flowers with weeds and pull out the wrong plants.
-Children or pets may trample the flowers.
One day I looked out my front window and saw the dog next door trampling my flowers. As I stepped out onto my porch to rescue my garden I saw my ten-year-old neighbor sitting on her steps watching my garden getting destroyed. When she saw me, she quickly drew the dog’s leash in.
I didn’t say a word to her, but I think I had smoke coming out of my ears. Though my children tell me that I don’t have to say a word, my eyes say it all. All I have to do is give that look.
A few days later the dog stuck its nose through the fence to have his head patted, which I did. Then I noticed that the same child was watching, and smiling. She realized that I didn’t hate her dog and that all was forgiven.
The Lord taught me that day that a person’s heart is of far more value than the most beautiful garden. If I hadn’t been sensitive to the Lord’s leading, I may have said something to that child that would have hurt her and destroyed my witness to my neighbors.
The Gardener of our hearts knows the enemy of our souls very well and is especially aware of his schemes to stunt our growth. He knows the wounds that have been inflicted during our childhood years. He knows the disappointments in our relationships, marriages, careers, and friendships.
He knows the stresses faced in raising children, tending to aging parents, and balancing budgets. He knows the loneliness caused by distant children, losing a life partner, or suffering through a lengthy illness. Continue to learn more of the 10 spiritual lessons from the garden.
He knows, He feels, He cares.
Isaiah 63:9 tells us-
In all their distress he too was distressed.
7. It All Takes Time
Although seeds when planted have all the characteristics of the plant, they do not grow to their potential overnight. It takes time. First, the seed has to develop roots to draw nutrients from the soil. Then the stem begins to shoot up toward the warmth of the sun. Next, tiny little leaves begin to extend from the stem. Finally, after many weeks, months, or years depending on the kind of plant, we begin to see the bloom or fruit.
In Isaiah 61:1-3 we read a prophecy of Jesus. He came to
preach good news to the poor.
bind up the broken-hearted,
proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to comfort all who mourn,
provide for those who grieve
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
The poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, the mourners, and those drowning in despair will be called “Oaks of Righteousness.
God looks at broken, sinful, down-and-out people and calls them a planting of the Lord, for the display of His splendor.
God doesn’t focus on our failures and mistakes, He looks at our potential and as we turn our faces to the warmth of His Son, Jesus, He will begin to reproduce His character into our lives.
Gideon was a wimpy little man, hiding from Israel’s enemies in his father’s winepress when the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you mighty warrior”. God knew that Gideon was afraid, but He also saw the desire in Gideon’s heart to lead his people to freedom. Gideon saw himself as weak and insignificant but God focused on Gideon’s potential. The angel called Gideon a mighty warrior. Gideon did become a mighty warrior and led his people to freedom (Judges 6:11-12).
Romans 4:17 tells us that
God who gives life to the dead calls things that are not as though they were.
I remember as a young child my mother showing me her vegetable garden and pointing out the rows of carrots, peas, lettuce, beans, and other vegetables. She would take me to row after row with tiny little leaves sticking out of the ground and say, these are my beans or peas or lettuce or carrots.
They didn’t look like much to me, but she knew what they were going to become. And sure enough in a couple of months, those little plants began to show the proof of what they were.
Picture with me for a moment, Jesus taking an angel to see the garden He has planted in the heart of a new believer. Jesus points to various spots and says, “Over there are generosity, humility, and integrity. Over in that corner are kindness, patience and gentleness. Along this side are forgiveness, obedience and truthfulness”.
The angel strains to see, and says, “All I see is weeds –selfishness, bitterness, jealousy, greed, complaining, gossip…”
Jesus says “Yes, that is what you see now, but remember, this is a baby Christian, a new believer. As this person marinates in my presence through studying my Word, talking to Me, and fellowshipping with other believers, his heart will soften and I will be able to pull out those weeds and make room for these new seeds that I’ve planted to grow. In time this garden will take on a whole new appearance.”
A small little acorn doesn’t mature into a mighty oak overnight. It takes many, many years of weathering one storm after another before it proudly stands strong and straight. Yet God looks at an acorn and calls it His mighty oak.
God looks at all our wounds, the deserts, and wastelands of our souls, and prophesies what we will become. In time, we will become oaks of righteousness- Strong, sturdy oaks; displaying God’s character qualities, to glorify Him. That’s God’s desire for us, that we would glorify Him by becoming what He created us to be.
8. A Garden Left Alone Becomes a Mess .
It grows wild beyond its boundaries, gets choked out by weeds, eaten by bugs and critters, or dries up and dies.
The garden of our hearts comes to the same end if it is left on its own, or we depend on someone who is not qualified to tend to it.
Jeremiah 17:5-6 gives us this warning:
5 This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
If we put our trust in people rather than God we will continually get hurt. They will let us down every time. We will learn to trust less and become more isolated with each emotional wound. Putting our faith in people instead of God will prevent us from maturing into what God intended for us to be and we will never bear much fruit.
Verses 7&8 go on to say-
7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
When we trust the Gardener of our hearts with our wounds, our dreams, and our disappointments, God will do the necessary work in us to bring about change and produce fruit in our lives.
9. A Time and Season for Everything
It grows wild beyond its boundaries, gets choked out by weeds, eaten by bugs and critters, or dries up and dies.
The garden of our hearts comes to the same end if it is left on its own, or we depend on someone who is not qualified to tend to it.
Jeremiah 17:5-6 gives us this warning:
5 This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
If we put our trust in people rather than God we will continually get hurt. They will let us down every time. We will learn to trust less and become more isolated with each emotional wound. Putting our faith in people instead of God will prevent us from maturing into what God intended for us to be and we will never bear much fruit.
Verses 7&8 go on to say-
7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
When we trust the Gardener of our hearts with our wounds, our dreams, and our disappointments, God will do the necessary work in us to bring about change and produce fruit in our lives.
10. It's Never To Late
-If the earth is hard, you can break it up and mix in mulch, fertilizer, compost or rich topsoil.
-If a plant dies, it can be replaced.
-Animal-safe slug and bug killers can be thrown into the garden to prevent the plants from being eaten.
-Weeds can be dug out so that the complete root is removed and there is less chance of them growing back.
If we get to a place in our lives where we feel that the situation is hopeless. If we think we’ve messed up too badly or someone has hurt us deeply, the Gardener of our hearts knows how to turn desserts and wastelands into gardens of beauty. We have now gone through the 10 spiritual lessons learned from the garden.
Isaiah 51:3 says, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion [His people] and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
God looks with compassion- “compassion” means to have sympathetic feelings.
God looks with compassion on all our ruins. The word “ruins” means our hurts, our wounds, and our emotional scars. God looks with sympathy, and compassion on all our hurts, our wounds, and our emotional scars. He feels the feeling of our wounds. He feels our emotions.
He makes our deserts and wastelands like Eden. Nothing grows in a desert of sand or a wasteland of rock or garbage dump- Except, maybe weeds.
The words “deserts” and “wastelands” refer to the dry empty places of our souls; the places that are so wounded that they stop growing. Our desert might be the loss of a husband or wife, a sister or brother. It could be the loss of a marriage, a job, or our stability. It might be the painful memories of our past failures or when someone we trusted has hurt us.
Our wasteland might be a place where we have become bitter and have refused to forgive the one who hurt us. These are the places of our hearts that we have allowed to harden toward God.
Whatever has caused our desert, or our wasteland, God wants to bring healing. He wants to restore that area of our heart and make it healthy again so that our life can be filled with happiness and beauty.
Job 36:15, 16 reads –
Those who suffer [God] delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction; [to a place of comfort and relationship with Himself].
God wants our hearts to be like the Garden of Eden – a place where God had a close, intimate relationship with His people, and everything was beautiful and peaceful.
Protect the garden of your heart.
For Proverbs 4:23 tells us-
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Gail McMullen
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