By observing the garden, we can see God in all things. From a seed sprouting and the plant growing to the watering, weeding, fertilizing and harvesting, His attributes are everywhere, teaching us about our Creator.

Weeds. Weeds. And more weeds.

Plant munching bugs. Drought. Disease. Unfavorable weather. Poor soil. Yellowing leaves.

It’s easy to focus on the negative things before you. In the day to day. And in the garden. As a homesteader, there are countless things out of my control when I plant a garden. I sow a seed, give it water, nourish and care for it as it grows and yet sometimes it doesn’t produce fruit. Or worse yet, does not survive far past the seedling stage.

Gardening can be a mysterious endeavor.

And yet, I continue to plant a garden year after year.

Focusing on the negatives of gardening — the difficulties, the challenges and the failures — could easily uproot my love for gardening and my desire to put nourishing food on the table for my family.

The same can be said about every day life. What gets my attention, gets my focus. And more often than not, it can be negative thoughts and situations.

By turning my eyes from adverse moments, and onto the Lord, I can walk in freedom and peace, no matter what happens.

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

Seeing God In Nature

From the very beginning, God has been gardening. He created the garden of Eden, planted mankind on His land, nourished us, cared for us and helped us grow and blossom into the children of God we are today.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. Genesis 2:8

When I walk throughout my garden, I can see His fingerprints in everything. Take for example the vining plant, such as a grapevine, pole bean or cucumber plant. In every curve, twist and turn of the branch I can see a literal representation of abiding in Him. By remaining in His life giving presence (the vine), I can rest assured that what breaks a branch of the world, will only bend me.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

As the Lord tends to the soil of my heart, I begin to bear fruit. Just as I can see happening to my strawberry plants and apple trees.

When the leaves on my green bean plants begin to turn yellow, what do I do? I nourish and care for it, helping it to prosper. He does the same, nourishing the distressed.

If my tomato plant begins to wilt, I don’t just let it wither and die. I give it a healthy drink of water.

He waters the thirsty.

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

He landscapes the lost.

He fertilizes the hungry.

But he doesn’t just stop there. He plants seeds in the hopeless. He raises up the defeated. He tills the hearts of the hard hearted. He gives in abundance. He harvests in His time.

He is, after all, the divine gardener.