This is our sunflower that reaches 10 feet. The thing that amazes me about it is that's pretty much the size that Goliath was when David went against him in 1 Samuel 17:4. I've put our Peanut in front of the stalk so you could compare the height. David was still a boy so not that much bigger. Well ... a bit bigger since Peanut is not even two yet.
But still, can you imagine that stalk a man? If so, you'll marvel as I do at David's words in 1 Samuel 17:
45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
I haven't written in this blog at all in quite some time. I was trying to fool myself in thinking that it's because my other blog consumes me (true) and that it glorifies God enough without mentioning him, just as the book of Esther does (wishful thinking). The truth of the matter is, I have not been in the Word enough, and that was my whole point in starting this blog - to be inspired to be more in the Word by having a place to write about it.
My husband is not a full-time preacher (though I wish he could be), but as he was preparing the message for last Sunday and we were discussing it, the thing that struck me most from what he said was, "It doesn't matter how good your "soil" is, if you don't plant any seeds in it, nothing will grow." He was referring, of course, to the Parable of the Sower, brought to life for us by having our own garden for the first time.
Matthew 13
The Parable of the Sower
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."All we did was to plant a tiny little sunflower seed, and this marvel came out of it. We didn't do anything to make it grow, but we did have to plant the seed.
In our garden, we have chinese cucumbers that are sprawled all over the ground, climbing up the stakes, up the wall, on to the hedge and even onto the hazelnut tree nearby. We have proud (mini) rows of corn. We have clusters of green tomatoes ripening, big fat elephant leaves on the zucchini plant, tiny red raspberries on prickly bushes, beets with their red leaves coming out of the ground, carrots with their feathery tops. All we did was to plant tiny seeds that, in their size, were little distinguishable one from one another. God made wild things grow out of it. Imagine if we plant the seeds of the Word in our heart what might grow.
Isaiah 55:
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Hope to see you all soon(er).
