Blessings in Preparation

Blessings in Preparation

“For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
    and praise spring up before all nations.”

Isaiah 61:11 ESV

This time of the year always brings new things. New flowers, newborn animals, and ,in my case, new places that aren’t draining the water from constant downpours of rain. The back of our new home has been overwhelmed with the recent rains, which was mostly caused by clogged gutters and unattended drainage ditches from the previous owners. If these areas had been prepared and maintained, there would likely have never been an issue.

It seems we often find ourselves to be creatures of reaction. When a problem arises, then we will address it; as it goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. In an effort to not waste effort, we may find ourselves run down trying to rectify all the problems that seem to pile up at once. There is another adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, that seems to more reflect the actions that God takes. Like a garden prepared for a purpose, the Sovereign Lord makes righteousness and praise come forth.

In our lives we need to recognize that we aren’t the ones that make God’s blessings sprout. Just like we cannot enter into a seed and  activate the genetic components that lead to growth, we are not the causal agents of righteousness and blessing. We are able to cultivate the “garden” of our life and make preparations to provide a proper environment for the growth of God’s blessings. What preparations are you making in your life for God to plant a seed of blessing that will flourish?

I Love you,

Jonathan Long