God Spoke To Me Through My Garden

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."

Psalm 19:1-4a

A few days ago, as I was out in our garden, the Lord brought this verse to life for me. He used our garden of all things to speak to me! Many who garden probably don't even have anything growing right now because it's gotten too cold. But my dear husband (who finds it fascinating to watch things grow and produce fruit... including people *grin*), has made sure we go the extra mile in protecting our own garden from the bitter cold this season can bring. (I admit, sometimes I wonder if all the extra work is worth the little bit of fruit we're harvesting from it right now.) So, that's why I was out there... uncovering the plants so they could get some sun.

It was then, God gave me this revelation:

Why in our Christian walk, and even as parents, do we not go the extra mile in protecting our children and those we love from the bitterness that the spiritual darkness can bring? We choose to homeschool our children because we feel that's what the Bible tells us to do based on Deuteronomy 6:1-9 (specifically verses 6-7):



"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently  to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (emphesis mine)

I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I could talk about the Lord's commands that often if my children were away from me 40 hours a week under the direction and instruction of someone else... in an institution that is completely anti-Christ!

Homeschooling is just one way we choose to "protect" the growing seed we've been given from the spiritual darkness. This choice is not widely accepted among our families, but God confirmed this decision in me through our still-producing garden. For that, I am thankful!

Do you receive ridicule from others for "sheltering" your children or being an "over-protective parent"? I believe the Lord calls us to first protect and train those in our care until they reach a state of maturity in which they are strong enough to stand on their own. Think about this for a minute. During the winter, the temperatures drop when it gets dark. The cold that comes in the night can stunt the growth of the plants, causing the fruit to appear much later than normal, or if it's a hard freeze, the plant can be killed altogether. Why then, in a spiritual sense, would we send our "seedlings" or even our "baby plants" into a time of bitter darkness without protection? Is it because it's "what everyone else is doing"? Is it because that's just the culture we live in?

When the Lord blesses us with seed, He requires great care and diligence on our part to protect, nurture, teach, and train that seed until they are stable enough to produce fruit and their roots are strong enough withstand the darkness that looms all around them. We need to "uncover" them when they are surrounded by the light of the Son so they can flourish and grow!

This job isn't easy; it may not always seem rewarding... but He calls us to it. And He says that it not only affects us and our children, but generations to come after us. He desires to give us a heritage!

I love this next passage of Scripture! I go to it often as a reminder of the promise the Lord has for me...

"Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God."

Psalm 78:1-8 (emphasis mine)

I exhort you to go the extra mile to give adequate "protection" to your seed from the spiritual darkness around them and not grow weary in doing so, even if it doesn't seem like you're seeing much fruit right now. God is faithful, and He promises to reward those who diligently keep His commands! Be blessed today as you fulfill your role as Mother...