God's Watering Can ~ Charity Graber

Psalm 1:3—And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Spring can never come soon enough for me. I get very excited when all the flow ers starts blooming and the trees get their leaves on them. I currently live in the state of Iowa. Our winters are long and cold. I have tried my hardest not to com plain about the winters here, but when spring finally comes, you will almost al ways find me outside or on my back porch just soaking up the warm weather and enjoying being outside in the warmth. I love to dig in the dirt and to see the plants in the garden sprout up and start pro ducing fruit. It is one of the coolest things in the world to me. It always gives me a sense of pride when something I invest in does well and thrives. So this got me to thinking about the Christian life. Does God look at my life and swell with pride when He sees me doing well and thriving in my Christian life? We all know that without water and sunshine, plants will die, yet so it is true of the Christian life. There are things we need to survive this walk of life. We need the Bible, prayer time, church attendance and encouragement from other believers to grow as a Christian. A watering can is only good for two things...holding water and pouring out water onto plants. You cannot water plants without first filling it up with water. This is true in our lives. You cannot help others grow if you are not first filling up with the things of God. If you are putting things into your life that are not pleasing to God or are unhealthy for your life, you cannot grow as a Christian. Likewise if we have things in our life, activities that we partake in, or are not faithful to read our Bible, pray and spend time in the Lord’s house, how will we ever grow? Also if we have things in our watering can that are not pleasing to God, how can we pour ourselves into others and expect them to grow as Christians. I watch as I water each tiny plant in the spring, hoping that they are getting the right amount of sun and water to support their life during the hot summer months. How can I be a blessing to others and help them grow in their walk with the Lord, if my own life is full of things that are not honoring or pleasing to God. This time of year in Iowa, we also have violent storms. There are many days where the wind blows so very hard that I pray my little plants have deep enough roots to withstand the wind and not get ripped out of the soil. We need to have our roots deeply planted in the Word of God and His promises to withstand the storms that come in our lives. And let me tell you, the storms WILL come. We need the Lord gently guiding us and staying by our side to help us withstand these storms. May we allow our lives to be used as a watering can for the Lord, filling up with the things that would please and honor Him, so that He can empty us into others to be a blessing and watch them grow to serve and honor Him.