Learning from the source

Although it is Autumn here in Melbourne, it never fails to make me sad that some of the plants are already losing their leaves. Most Australian plants are always green, but there are some that shed, mostly ones that are decorative. I am glad it is Autumn, because it has been a hard summer on our garden. Keeping some of them alive has been a battle.

I thought about the plants' struggle and it reminds me, that we are a lot like nature. The long, never-ending dry feels like an eternity, and you can wonder whether that will be the normality in life. Will we see the refreshment we need? Have we done something wrong to endure the harsh situation we are in?

It is often a default to find the meaning in our seasons, especially when they are not ideal. But our source is always our loving father, and like our own fathers, He watches over us, disciplines us by teaching lessons in our situations. How well we understand and take action is of course, our free will given by God.

Not all of them are God, there are people, Satan, who are extenuating forces as well. Regardless, God gives us tactics to deal with them. His bible tells us to "Test the spirits" (1 John 4: 1-2), that God's promises endure forever (Psalms, He will never leave us or forsake us (John 14:18), and to put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6).

I know that the season will not last, and my plants will be green again. In our own lives, we have the best sources in the Bible, the Holy Spirit, God, and Jesus. Easter reminds us, that Jesus' death and resurrection brought us close to the ultimate source God. With Him, we can be sure that our own lives (leaves) will always be green (Jeremiah 17:8)