It’s the sad truth, our garden has failed! Of all the plants we planted, only one very lonely corn stalk survived. I’m super bummed. Those little plants we started indoors from seed looked like they would make it. They looked so green and full of life. My worry that the garden pests would eat them wasn’t the reason they died. No, it was the heat and lack of moisture. Even before the end of their first day in the garden, my tomatoes and jalapenos had all shriveled up.
Prayer: Lord, I’m super bummed that my garden failed. We put so much work into growing them from seeds and all the plants have died! Now what do I do?
God’s Word to us: You try again. Plant your seeds directly into the soil. There is no danger of frost. And wait to see what grows. It may be late, but you’ll get something. If you don’t reseed you will get nothing except that one lonely corn stock.
The Lord will comfort Israel again
and have pity on her ruins.
Her desert will blossom like Eden,
her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found there.
Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.
Isaiah 51:3
My Heart’s Cry for us is to not give up when we have failed. What garden have you planted that has failed? It’s getting late in the season to plant a garden. Some of my friends are already eating produce from their thriving gardens. Yet I have nothing. I have actually sulked about my dead garden for a month now, losing precious time. I could have started over much sooner. It’s so hard to recover from something we’ve tried and failed. But now God is saying try again. Plant something. If you don’t plant something, you won’t get anything.
I would encourage you to try again. Plant some seeds in that barren area of your life. And remember to water it. That was my downfall. I thought the sprinklers would take care of it so I didn’t check to see if it needed extra water. I got busy with other things. My actions should have matched my desire to have a garden. I needed to have my eyes on it, taking care of its needs. God is good. He comforts us and encourages us. And I must say, when I finally get to eat a fruit or vegetable out of my garden “Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m going to plant some seeds today. How about you?
-Kim
P.S. I have to laugh at the picture I chose. Yea, in my wildest dreams I’d have this much corn growing. My garden is a 6×3 ft.
This makes me think of a Sunday at church a couple weeks ago. I was recognizing my part of my son’s present struggles. Yes, he was making his own decisions, but like Peter and Edmund in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardroble” we have choices too, that can feed into their sin instead of encouraging righteousness.
I was filled with regret, overwhelmed with the knowledge that I could not undo what I had done. As we were worshiping, this song began by Hillsong, “So Will I” and these words struck my heart….
“And as You speak
A hundred billion failures disappear
Where You lost Your life so I could find it here
If You left the grave behind You so will I”
As my heart cried out in repentance I heard His voice assure me. I could not redeem this situation but He would. I was forgiven for my part and His love would recover what was far beyond my grasp. He promised.
My friend, release your failures into the incredibly capable hands of God and see what He is capable of. Redemption is His business. 🌸
Karie, Thank you for making light of this very important step. Obviously I have prayed about my failure, but have I released it? There is a big difference between grumbling and releasing to God. I do need Him to redeem my big mistake with my garden and His blessing on my next try. Thanks for commenting.