(Written for The Round Farmhouse Ministries and published on February 10, 2024)

"๐๐๐๐ฃย ๐พ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉย ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐กย ๐ข๐๐ ๐ย ๐๐๐จย ๐๐ค๐ข๐ย ๐๐ฃย ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐งย ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐จย ๐๐จย ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชย ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐จ๐ฉย ๐๐ฃย ๐๐๐ข. ๐๐ค๐ช๐งย ๐ง๐ค๐ค๐ฉ๐จย ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐กย ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌย ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃย ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐คย ๐๐ค๐โ๐จย ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐ย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ ๐๐๐ฅย ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชย ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ฃ๐."
~Ephesians 3:17~ NLT
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I find that the more I study the Bible, the more I realize just how much I don't know. What about you?
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Occasionally, we may feel overwhelmed, like tender new shoots of grass under the threat of being smothered by relentlessly spreading roots of an invasive weed that winds along the earth's surface. Or, those prickly weeds that loom overhead, positioned to stab us with their thorny spikes, making us wary of taking any further steps forward on the path. But, when the roots of the purposeful plant run deep, are nurtured and cared for, that healthy plant will, in contrast, smother out the weeds.
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In Luke 8:5-15, Jesus shared the parable of the farmer scattering seed, reminding his followers that only the seed landing on "good soil", when cared for and nurtured, "will produce a crop".
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The fruits of our faith will ripen when the roots have grown deep into God's love. But, that doesn't just happen coincidentally. It's then that I remind myself that loving God and growing my faith is like tending a garden.ย "๐ผ๐ฃ๐ย ๐จ๐คย ๐ฌ๐ย ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ง๐๐ก๐ฎย ๐ค๐ฃย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐ย ๐๐ค๐ย ๐๐๐จย ๐๐ค๐งย ๐ช๐จ. ๐๐ค๐ย ๐๐จย ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐. ๐๐๐ค๐๐ซ๐๐งย ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐จย ๐๐ฃย ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐ย ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐จย ๐๐ฃย ๐๐ค๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐๐ค๐ย ๐๐ฃย ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข.โ 1 John 4:16 NLT ย By planting the seeds of our faith in good soil, that fertile ground of God's love, we discover the foundation that is based on His love. So, it only makes sense that we tend God's garden of love faithfully and continuously.
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Fruitful and blossoming gardens require constant work in order to enjoy beautiful results. By exercising these four critical steps of the successful gardener, we may enjoy a fruitful and blossoming spiritual life and the gifts that God's love provides us.
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Sแดแดแด 1: Wแดแดแดสษชษดษข/สแดแดแด ษชษดษข - Even when it is but a microscopic seedling, growth in our faith life will occur when we consistently read our Bible. The "good soil" of God's love is given to us freely in paper and ink, that we plant the seeds of curiosity and cultivate the fruits of understanding.
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Sแดแดแด 2: Fแดสแดษชสษชแดขษชษดษข/sแดแดแด สษชษดษข - As the tiny sapling of understanding begins to break through, new growth will produce leaves and buds. When we take pieces of scripture and study their deeper meaning, the tiny branches of our faith life will become stronger and more robust.
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Sแดแดแด 3: Sแดษดสษชษขสแด/Aแดแดษชแดษด - The blossoms of beauty will burst open when exposed to the sunlight. So, as we boldly share our faith through discipleship and evangelism, the plant that is our maturing faith life will produce new shoots.
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Sแดแดแด 4: Nแดสแดแดสษชษดษข/Pสแดสแดส - The plant, at all stages, needs constant nurturing in the form of love. As our faith life grows, we nurture it by making time often for prayer.ย God's love for us knows no end, but it can only begin with us planting our roots in it.
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Just as the mature plant will now freely present an abundance of exquisite blooms for all who look on it to enjoy, by allowing our roots to grow deep into the Word, the Spirit will give us the capacity to love profoundly and unreservedly.
"๐๐ค๐ซ๐ย ๐ฉ๐๐ย ๐๐ค๐ง๐ย ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐งย ๐๐ค๐ย ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐ก๐กย ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐งย ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฉย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐ก๐กย ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐งย ๐จ๐ค๐ช๐กย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐ก๐กย ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐งย ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐๐ฃ๐ย ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ย ๐๐ก๐กย ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐งย ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐." Mark 12:30 NLT
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In his book, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom, Henri Nouwen writes, "The more you are called to speak for God's love, the more you will need to deepen the knowledge of that love in your own heart. The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inward journey must be. Only when your roots are deep can your fruits be abundant."
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Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, expressed, through prayer, his desire for all Christ followers, to "remain steadfastly fixed in our love to God" and likened it to having roots grow deep into God's love to keep that connection fresh and alive. He goes on to say, "Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT
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I pray this also:
Father God,
Thank You for the blessing of Your love, that deep and rich soil into which we can root our love for You. We pray Lord, that as we tend to our gardens, we follow the steps necessary to nurture the tiny seeds into glorious blooms of faith, love, and devotion to You. Let us work hard to cultivate strong branches and to eradicate the thorns and weeds that threaten our tender blooms. May we tend our gardens of faith knowing that we are fully and completely loved by You.
In Jesus' Name we pray,
Amen

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