Suggestions for Planting a Spring Garden

While growing up in north central Ohio I spent a lot of time in our acre size garden. We planted peas, tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, green beans, green beans, green beans, onions, squash, egg plant, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, but NO sweet potatoes. This time of year some Texans are getting ready to plant a spring garden. Whether or not you have ever planted a garden, every one is planting some kind of garden in the soil of life. Paul speaks to this effect. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Gal. 6:7,8). From this we learn three important facts:
We reap what we sow.
We reap more than we sow.
We reap after we sow.
All are sowing some sort of garden winter, spring, summer or fall. Here are some suggestions for sowing this spring.
Three Rows of Peas

Preparedness

The motto for Boy Scouts of America is: "Always Be Prepared". Jesus taught several parables showing the necessity of preparedness:
the parable of the ten virgins (Mt. 25:1-13)
the parable of the rich fool (Lk. 12:16-21)
the parable of the good and evil servants (Lk. 13:35-40; 41-48)
the parable of the unjust steward (Lk. 16:1-13)
To help Peter, James and John to overcome temptation Jesus told them on the night in which He was betrayed to watch and pray that they enter not into temptation. Watching and praying are siamese twins preparing the soul for eternity. Studying the scriptures can also help keep us prepared (2 Tim. 3:16,17). The word "perfect" means complete, adequate. Everything that man needs to know to prepare himself is revealed unto him in the New Testament. It is only through the Bible that we can be prepared for every good work (Tit. 3:1).
The motive for all this preparation through watching and praying and studying, is to prepare to meet God. Amos was a country preacher from Judah who tried to reform Israel. God made every effort to persuade the children of Israel to repent and to return unto him , but they refused After every recourse God finally states: "Prepare to meet thy God Israel" (Amos 4:12).

Perseverance

Calvin Coolidge once wrote "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not ...Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts." History is replete with examples of his observation. Consider William Wilberforce's 40 year struggle against slavery in England. He learned of his success only upon his death bed. Gibbon labored 20 years on his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Marcus Mortan ran 16 times for the governorship of Massachusetts. At last he was elected by a close majority - a single vote. Dr. James A.H. Murray was the first editor of the great Oxford English Dictionary. He spent over sixty years of his life on this one project and still did not live to see its completion. Ronald Reagan lost his first bid for the presidential nomination.
Biblical history is also filled with those to never gave up. Noah preached 120 years while preparing the ark and yet only saved those who were of his immediate family. Joshua and Caleb wandered in the wilderness for 40 long years with the murmuring Israelites before they realized their reward. If we are to save our souls it will be done by perseverance and patience. Jesus told his disciples, "In your patience possess your souls" (Luke 21:19).
While it is true that excitement and enthusiasm are needed in doing the Lord's Word, but being steadfast is more important. Paul assures us, "and let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9).

Prayer

It is a sin not to pray (1 Sam. 12:23). Samuel was addressing and reproving the people at Gilgal. The Israelites want a king like the nations around them. God has provided them one with in Saul. Samuel defended his integrity and God sent thunder and rain to give divine testimony to it. Then, Samuel makes it clear that despite the fact that there is a King he will continue his duty as a judge and pray and teach them. Samuel refused to sin in neglecting his prayer.
When failing to pray as we should we sin in at least three ways. 1) We sin against others. Samuel saw a primary part of his job was to be an intercessor. Abraham interceded on the behalf of the inhabitants of Sodom. Moses constantly prayed for the Israelites. Elders are to pray for the sick (Js. 5:16). The apostles were not going to neglect their prayers for a mere performance of physical services (Ac. 6:4 ). We are commanded to pray for one another. 2) We sin against God. Failure to pray disobeys a direct command from God. Not to pray is not to be dependent upon God, not to have faith in God, not to be devoted to God, and to deny the existence of God. We rob Him of due thanksgiving, praise, glory, and devotion. We are trying to show God that we don't need His help we can do it ourselves. 3) We sin against ourselves. Prayer is needed for help with temptation, for forgiveness, for food and shelter, for good health, for the neglected and lost. Through lack of prayer we rob ourselves of years of spiritual life. Peter was asked to watch and pray with Jesus in the Garden the night our Lord was betrayed. If Peter had prayed instead of sleeping, he might not have fallen into temptation and denied the Lord three times.

One Row of Squash

Squash Gossip

"Remember Me? My name is gossip. I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age. I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I am nobody's friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never quite the same."
Gossip is very dangerous and destructive. "A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body" (Prov. 18:6-8) and "A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends" (Prov. 16:28).

Three Rows of Lettuce, Heb. 10:22-24

Lettuce Draw Near - In Our Relationship with God, 22
Having a great sympathetic High Priest over the house of God, we may all now draw near to God. "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (10:22). This requires three things of us. We must be: 1) Constituted with a true heart; 2) Confident in full assurance of faith; 3) Cleansed having our hearts sprinkled and bodies washed. This washing takes place at baptism. "'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' (Acts 22:16). Baptism is a precondition of salvation, or drawing near to God.
Lettuce Hold Fast the Confession of Our Faith - In Our Response to the World, 23
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (10:23). This confession is a profession of the hope we have through Christ. This excludes a secret society of "believers" (John 12:42,43). "Hold fast...without wavering". It is evident that those in whom he wrote were suffering persecution and that there was great danger that they would apostatize. This hope is based on the unfailing promise of God. Since God is so faithful to us, we ought to be faithful to Him. The fact that He is faithful is an encouragement to us.
Let Us Consider One Another - In Our Responsibility to Fellow-Christians, 24
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works (10:25). All Christians are to give consideration to one another. This is with a view to stirring up other Christians. Stir up means"to arouse, to excite, to call into action". The purpose is to stimulate others toward "love and good works". Many brethren know how to provoke each other to anger and stir up bad feelings, but if we provoke each other at all, it should be unto love. One of the best ways to show love and good works is to assemble with other saints. "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (10:25).
These three rows of lettuce represent the triumphant triplets of Christianity: faith, hope and love (1 Cor. 13:13; 1 Th. 1:3).

Two Rows of Turn-ups

Turn up for Church, Heb. 10:25
Why not? Turn up for Church. You turn up for work. You turn up the TV. You turn up the for sales. You turn up for breakfast. By attending you can: turn up the encouragement; turn up the zeal in your life; turn up with a new friend; turn up the down-fallen spirits of others; and turn up to praise God
Turn up with Someone
The day after Andrew found the Christ he first found his brother Peter and brought him to Jesus. As the song goes: "Bring them in from the fields of sin." Sow the seed of the Word of God. One plants, one waters but God gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6).
Remember, you are sowing some sort of garden in your life. If you sow wild oats, expect to reap a bitter harvest when God sends the reaper - death or on Judgment Day.

Daniel R. Vess