A Well-Watered Garden

Image by **Mary** via Flickr

Good Evening!

Today's Seed: "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

Some summers are wet and gardens flourish. Other5 years, rain showers are few and far between. Without water, gardens wilt, then wither, and finally turn a dry, crisp brown. Flowers, plants, and trees die without life-giving water.

Without spiritual water, we wilt too. When stumbling blocks and boulders are part of our lives, the efforts to overcome them sap our strength and we become like a garden without water. We look bad, and we feel worse. But one of God's miracles is that a garden that looks dead will revive when consistent watering begins again. We can be revived too.

Jesus offers us living water to satisfy our spiritual needs. Like the well-watered garden that blooms, we too will flourish when we depend on Jesus. We can turn our problems over to him, saying, "Lord, I need your help."

We'll discover how he can quench our thirst and answer our needs. By drawing on his strength through prayer and Bible reading, we'll develop strong spiritual roots capable of withstanding dry spells and boulders. And, like a spring that waters a lush garden, we'll have the resources to spread God's love by watering others.

Dig Deeper: The Hebrew word for "guide" is nachah, which means to lead, as in leading troops into battle or leading sheep to water. Jesus will lead us when we've lost our way and are searching for life-giving water.

Background Bulb: Isaiah's 66 chapters are divided into two sections; chapters 1 through 39 are words of judgment, while chapters 40 through 66 are words of comfort. The image of water is used throughout the whole book. Isaiah 55:1 is an invitation to come to the Lord: "Come All you who are thirsty, come to the waters." Those who do nare promised complete satisfaction and forgiveness from sin: "Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon? (Isaiah 55:7).

Sprout & Scatter: The lessons we have learned and the verses we have found helpful during dry times are the same ones that we can share with others who are hurting. Look around. Is there someone you know who needs spiritual "watering?" The words of the Lord are the water that can nourish them, buy we can be the watering can to bring help,. Send a thinking-of-you card and include a verse of Scripture. Deliver a plate of cookies, bunch of flowers or jar of jam with a note saying you are praying for them . Visit shut-in and read aloud from scripture. If you have musical talent, play or sing some favorite hymns to nourish them.

Think about It: Think back to the last time you were dry and thirsty. What verse nourished you?

When you encounter difficulty, what do you do first?

Prayer Pot: Dear Lord, guide me and satisfy my needs for .... (insert your needs)


Take-Away Idea: The source of strength is "living water" -- God.



Good Night and May God Bless!