Month: May 2021

Devotional

Quench the Thirst

kathrynhugheswriter 
 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like the tree planted by the waters…and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.                                                                                                              Jeremiah 17:7,8 (NKJV)

I bought a Gaura lindheimeri plant (aka. Butterfly Bush or Beeblossom). I was delighted that it had two plants within the pot, one with pink flowers, and the other with white.  Before I got them planted into the soil, a record heat wave hit our area. To my dismay, the next day part of the plant was crispy and dry, while the rest of it sat limp and wilted. The soil was dry, though it had received water the previous day.  I plunged the nursery container into a bucket of water, which revived part of the Gaura. Instead of butterflies visiting the airy branching flowering spikes of pink or white flowers, it lost all of its flower buds. It showed the damage done from going thirsty during trying times. It’s in the flower bed now. It took some time, but as it received the water it needed the new growth is once again beautiful.

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Guara lindheimeri – Image by Annette Meyer from Pixabay

We can be like the Gaura plant, beautiful until the scorching heat of a trial arrives and it wilts us. We grow more and more anxious. Fear controls us. Our souls are thirsty, needing to plunge into the Word of God for the life- giving refreshment of the Holy Spirit. If we don’t quench the thirst, damage can result within us just as surely as it does for a plant without water.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote of a person being blessed because of his hope and trust in the Lord. “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes;…” (Jeremiah 17:8a)

If my Gaura had its roots in the water instead of trapped in a thin plastic nursery pot, water would have replaced what it was losing to the drying sun. The water it received before the heat wave was not enough to keep it healthy.

Likewise, the time we spent with God last Sunday or even yesterday is not enough to keep us thriving during today’s hot, drying winds. How can we be like that tree planted by the rivers of water?

  • Study the Bible. “…his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water…” (Psalm 1:2, 3a; NKJV). Are we spending time daily reading the Bible and thinking about what the Holy Spirit shows us? Are we applying it to our lives?
  • Commit to staying immersed in the Living Water of Jesus. He replenishes us as we stay connected to him. We will remain fruitful for Jesus’ kingdom as others see us go through trials and survive them. We do not need to fear the heat.
  • Confession is on-going. Believers in Jesus Christ are forgiven once at salvation. However, we don’t always obey God. When we sin, we need to confess that to our Heavenly Father and seek His forgiveness.
  • Pray. Jesus Christ spent time praying to His heavenly Father. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed time with the heavenly Father, certainly we do, too.

Dear Lord, Thank you for being the source of Living Water. I confess I try to go through life on my own power and don’t spend time with you every day. Please forgive me. I need you, Jesus. Help me to sink my roots deep into You, and not into the dry dirt of the world. Quench the thirst of my soul. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

Thank you for joining me and for reading my devotional blogs.  Blogs post every other Thursday. Past devotionals can be found in the Devotional archive.

For information on watering plants, see my article “Quench the Thirst of Your Plants” on my Gardening page.

Devotional

Am I a Content Daylily?

kathrynhugheswriter

Come to the Garden series

Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13 RSV

I doubled my rose garden from six to twelve rose bushes; still, my longing gaze drifts to more varieties. I chafe to reestablish the large vegetable garden and flower beds I had before the gophers, water restrictions, and drought took out many of my plantings. I dream of overflowing flowerbeds of colorful annuals, perennials, and succulents. But such thoughts are selfish, for my budget currently only allows me to buy a few of my long list of desired purchases. Shouldn’t I appreciate what I have?

My discontentment isn’t limited to things. My adult child isn’t available to get together, my husband may be working on a project that takes priority over something we were going to do together, or someone may interrupt me and disrupt what I was scheduled to accomplish in a given period of time. I complain. I want to do what I desire, God, not be on the phone with the friend who needs to talk for an hour. “It’s too hot to weed.” “I don’t want to clean house.” My attitude is not Christ or others-centered. 

Oh, how I grieve the Lord with my discontentment.  I need to remember that my attitude is not reflecting the will of the Lord God.

I need to be more like the daylilies. They bloom where they are without demanding that conditions be “just right.” Daylilies are not picky about soil, or complaining they won’t bloom unless they get their full allotment of water.

Daylily at San Diego Botanical Gardens, 2019. Photo by Kathryn Hughes

Do you ever struggle with discontentment like me? Are you like a rose that gets leaf diseases if conditions are difficult? Or possibly a fern that wilts when the heat comes? Oh, that we would be like the contented daylily, blooming readily in different circumstances, satisfied with things as they are.

 When we desire more and fail to appreciate what we have, it shows an unthankful heart and a lack of trust in God. Scripture says “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NKJV) Do we focus on our fears and doubts and question what He says? Or are we content to let our Creator bring both the sun and the rain, knowing He cares for us?

The Lord said “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” We can simply repeat it, or we can grow deep into knowing who God is and that He is with us. He doesn’t forget us. Even when life seems to be crashing down around us, we can know with certainty that the Lord is with us. He knows every detail. Jesus experienced the trials and difficulties of being human. He has compassion on us. The writer of Hebrews linked God’s promise to contentment. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

The Apostle Paul must have struggled with discontentment, for he said, “I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.” How did he learn? Paul continued with “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Paul took his wants and his needs to Jesus. Like Paul, we can learn to be content. Let’s give our discontentment to Jesus, trusting He loves us and knows what is best for us. Christ will help us

Lord, please forgive my grumbling and my discontented attitude. Teach me to be content no matter what my circumstances. Help me to remember that You are my helper and I don’t have to struggle or fear. You will never leave me nor forsake me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Devotionals post every other Thursday. Past devotionals can be found in the Devotional archive.

For information on Daylily plants, see my article on Daylily Care on my Gardening page.