Partner with Christ

Good morning,  

There is a story of a farmer who received a visit from the local pastor.  The pastor commented on what a beautiful and successful property the farmer and the Lord had produced.  The farmer's response was:  "You should have seen the place when it was only in the hands of the Lord, the weeds and brush were everywhere, and there were none of the crop fields or flowers beds, ands the buildings were in shambles. 
Strange, is it not, that when men are successful, they generally credit themselves liberally for their success but when things go wrong they begin to blame others -- even God.
We do not have up-to-date information about two particular plots of ground in Moscow, but some years ago one of these was a beautiful garden, the other a patch of weeds. Above each there was a sign. Over the one: "This plot is cared for by the United Soviet Socialist Republic," over the other: "This plot is cared for by God"!
Evidently the atheistic Soviets who hatched this "bright idea" did not stop to think that only God could produce the beautiful flowers in the USSR plot. All their watering and cultivating would have been in vain except for the God they deny.
As to the other plot, they probably did not even know that even in Eden God put the garden in man's charge "to dress it and to keep it" (Gen. 2:15), and later, when man sinned, God said to Adam, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake" (Gen. 3:17). This is why the Soviets had to employ a gardener to control the weeds in even their garden! How wrong and foolish, then, for man ever to blame God for anything that goes wrong for him or causes him trouble!

And how right it is to praise God for every good gift, thank Him during this season, and all year long, for your salvation, and how He cherishes you.  A garden is one of the most beautiful places to be and God chooses it to describe us.  Amazing that He finds glory in us!!! His love for us and His approval of us is described in the Song of Solomon Chapter 4, when the Bridegroom, Jesus, is speaking of His Bride, you:  "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.  Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, spikenard and saffron; calmaus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: a fountain of gardens a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon."   So the next time you are down on yourself, thinking you are worthless, and good-for-nothing, remember that the Lord knows much more than you do, and He loves you, and glories in you, beyond measure.
 
May He bless you real good this Monday morning while you partner with Him as a farmer or gardner partners with Him, and never forget that you are loved!!!

Henry