Gifts for the Garden

(This devotional may seem a bit lengthy, but stick with it; I believe it will leave you inspired, strengthened, and blessed.)

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God. Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

– 1Peter 4:10-11

God has fashioned each of us intricately for a purpose and given us special gifts to make an impact on this land. The way we are blessed to think, perceive, move, create, and function are tools to build His Kingdom. The gifts He imparts to us are to be used to support and grow His Garden. We are all vessels made to bring Him glory, and yet should not seek glory. Yes, it does feel good to get credit for the work and effort we put into the things before us; however, that is not why we do what we do. God has given us gifts for the Garden. He has gifted and empowered us to cultivate and tend the land before us (Genesis 2:15). So, I encourage you not to take for granted the way you think, the way you work, your interests, or your passion, but to yield those things to God and ask Him, "How am I to use this to support and make big and beautiful Your Kingdom?"

Be Strong and Courageous

Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. Now behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and every willing man of any skill will be with you in all the work for all kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command.”

- 1 Chronicles 28:20-21

We must be strong and courageous, steadfast and faithful, so that our gifts can be utilized to bring Him glory and build His Kingdom as it is intended. In 1 Chronicles, David laid out to the nation of Israel and his son Solomon the great endeavor of building a house, a temple for the ark of the covenant, which David called the footstool of the Lord. The ark had been carried around all this time, and now that they were in the promised land, David wanted to build God a permanent Temple. David could not, so he prepared everything for his son to take on this immense project. He laid out the plans before Solomon and the nation, gathered all the resources, and then told Solomon to be strong and courageous.

He let the people know that they needed to stay aligned and in allegiance with God so that they could continue to possess the good land (1 Chronicles 28:8). He let Solomon know that he should serve God wholeheartedly and willingly (1 Chronicles 28:9) because God receives those who seek Him and rejects those who reject Him. Solomon needed to be strong and courageous as he endeavored to do what God asked. David reminds Solomon that God does not fail and would empower Solomon to do what he was called to do. God would give him skilled, willing workers; He would give him what he needed to finish.

God has placed a mighty purpose before us, one that we're all called to do, and that is to cultivate and tend His Garden. If you read Chronicles 28, you see that David makes great claims about the Lord, but he also makes stipulations for the people.  He lets them know God wants to do awesome and wonderful things and keep them in the good land; however, the people's response would determine it. Would they continue to practice and uphold the standards of living that God had given them? Would Solomon be strong and courageous and fulfill the purpose which God had laid before him? As Solomon fulfilled his purpose, would he continue to seek and serve the Lord?

God is calling us to be strong and courageous, and to seek and serve Him not only so that we may accomplish awesome feats for the glory of His Kingdom, but so that we may experience and live in the good land ourselves. We and those around us are gifts to the Garden, but we determine whether we will be useful gifts or useless gifts.  Will we take God's hand and let Him guide us in doing great things, or will we let the beautiful, intricate gifts God has placed in us sit on the shelf and not reveal His glory as they were designed to?

Moved with Compassion

When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.

-Matthew 14:14

In times of hardship and grief, we can give ourselves a reason to put our gifts on a shelf. We give ourselves an out. We begin to seclude ourselves and close ourselves off to being available for the use of the Kingdom. But Jesus in Matthew 14 shows us that even though there is a time for rest and grieving, we should not dampen the fire of compassion for people. We should not leave the land to lie fallow and waste because of the difficulties we face.

In Matthew 14:12, Jesus was informed that John the Baptist, His cousin, the one who went before Him, had been killed. In Matthew 14:13, He goes away on a boat to give Himself a break, but the people followed Him. In Matthew 14:14, we see Him return to the shore, to a community still in darkness, still hurting, and still in need of a Savior. And despite grieving the physical death of his cousin, He still knew that there was work to be done.

In this portion of Scripture, we see Christ step away, but come right back after He grieves. He did not let loss close his eyes to the needs around Him or detour His purpose for coming to Earth. Christ faced more than the grief of death during His ministry. He dealt with persecution, unbelief, rejection, being ostracized, gossiped about, lied about, plotted against, and yet He still did not stop. He was here for a purpose; He knew that He was the ultimate gift to the Garden of God, the One who would restore life to this barren land, and He did not allow the ugliness, darkness, and sadness of this world to dampen His compassion. Instead, He took it all on and continued to offer Himself as a living sacrifice, a gift to the world.

We are called to do the same; we are called to walk as Christ walked. Even when we are dealing with hard things, we are still called to let the compassion and love the Father has for His land (the hearts and souls of people) rise in us and move us toward action. We must not let the fire of compassion for the Kingdom/Garden of God wane and dampen. We must feed that flame and let it move us to be intentional gardeners: planting, watering, and harvesting His fields.

Excellence’s Reward

 

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

- Colossians 3:23-24

God calls us to do things with excellence, and the Scripture above says work heartily, as for the Lord. Excellence is doing things to the best of our capabilities. And the thing about it is, God knows our capabilities because, as mentioned earlier, He gave them to us. Just as Jesus knew the capability of that fig tree that he cursed because it did not produce figs (Mark 11:12-14). God is calling us to do what He has enabled us to do; however, He also does not want us to waste the potential He invested in each of us ( Matthew 25:14-30 and Ephesians 2:10). When we are the ones outside looking in, we are saddened when we see someone not walking in their potential. However, I believe the Creator mourns it even more.

God not only gives potential and gifts; He rewards those who use them. He delights in those who put to use what He has given them. The Scripture says He gives seed to the sower (2 Corinthians 9:10). He loves to reward those who diligently seek him, who diligently do the things before them that they've been called to do (Hebrews 11:6-7). God is a rewarder. We are gifts for the garden, but God rewards us when we utilize those gifts because that is just who he is. That is the Lord that we serve; he likes to pour his love on us.

Be encouraged and motivated: you are the gifted and blessed of God. You can share your gifts and person to help implement the beautiful plan God has laid before us: to build a luscious, beautiful garden on this earth that overtakes the ugliness of the sin and depravity that has entered the earth. It is hard work, but it is not impossible.

We are called to be strong and courageous; we are called to be faithful and move with integrity; we are called to be excellent as we put our hands, minds, feet, and resources to the things that God has called us to. We do this with expectancy and joy because our work will not be in vain, but we shall see the fruit of our hands, and He shall reward us with an inheritance. Praise God as you diligently and faithfully yield yourself and use the gifts for the Garden that God has fashioned to change hearts, lives, and futures.

Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

– Galatians 6:9-10

Prayer

Father God, thank You for intentionally fashioning us with gifts, passions, abilities, and purpose. Help us to recognize what You have placed within us and to yield it fully back to You. Teach us to be strong and courageous in the work You have called us to do, trusting that You will provide the strength, wisdom, resources, and support needed to complete it. Keep our hearts tender and moved with compassion, even in seasons of hardship, grief, or weariness. Let us not grow discouraged in doing good, but help us to serve with excellence, integrity, joy, and faithfulness. Use our lives as a gift for Your Garden, bringing beauty to this land and people's lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen