PASTOR’S CORNER, Pat Mann, President of Good Samaritan Auxiliary
I figured there were at least two problems.
(1 ) The pots are still too small. I should plant them in the ground - plenty of soil - instead of pots.
(2) I have large trees that block the sunlight, giving the plants only a few hours of good sunlight. So, now I know that I need a better place to plant tomatoes. The shade was not a good place.
Tomatoes need plenty of good soil, pre-prepared ground, and lots of sunlight. I don't know yet about the watering - if they need watering every day - I figured they needed lots of water, but a relative who has great success in growing tomatoes said you can water them too much. More sunlight, however, is always healthy for tomatoes.
I remembered the year we went on a vacation to Alaska in July. It was the time of year that there was more than 20 hours of daylight. The flowers and vegetation were outstanding.
As Christians, we need more SON-light in our lives – more of Jesus, the SON of God. Spend some time in Proverbs 119 to see what benefits a daily dose of the Word of God can do for us. One verse says it is "a l lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. To be more fruitful as Christians, we need more light.
"Blessed are you, O LORD, teach me your principles. I have recited aloud all the laws you have given us." It takes TIME and EFFORT and lots of repetition to do that.
Another verse: "I have rejoiced in your decrees as much as in riches."
WOW! Do we really LOVE the knowledge we get from the Scriptures so much that we can say, "I rejoice in your decrees as much as in riches?"
If someone offered you $5 million OR a full knowledge of God's words with understanding, which would you choose? Many, or maybe most people would choose the five million dollars - maybe the number is better among believers, but for those who would choose the riches, it is only because they have not yet understood the incredible value of God's Word.
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Word will never pass away." (Matthew 24: 35).
All the riches in the world are just fading treasures, like the tomatoes, - none of them will survive for another season. When death comes, all earthly treasures will be gone forever. Jesus said, "Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven..."
At one time I was receiving goods from a family whose parents had both passed away. The children were trying to dispose of their STUFF. They had taken what they wanted, and yet there was still a lot of stuff left, so they were sending a lot of it to their church to use in a garage sale. Their treasures will be picked over by the public.
Verse 19 - "I am but a foreigner here on earth."
This world is not our final dwelling. A hymn says, "This world is not my home, I'm just a' passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue..."
Just like a person uses a road map to get where he wants to go, the Bible is our map so that we can follow God's commands and guidelines. When we don't use the map God has provided we take wrong turns and end up where we did not intend to go.
When we get into the Word and begin to read and think long thoughts about what we read and adjust our lives to match the principles that we find there, we can truthfully say,
“I am overwhelmed continually with a desire for your laws" (v. 20)..
If that is not your feeling, there are three things to do so that you come to have this kind of love relationship with the Word of God and with God Himself:
1) Don't stop reading it just because you may not be loving it. Keep on doing it every day whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Keep doing it whether you are loving it or not loving it. Keep on keeping on. Read all of it three or four times a year.
2) Pray for insight as in v. 18 - "Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your law."
Say that prayer as you read.
3) Adjust your life to fit the obvious principles in the Word. If you read something that describes a behavior that is offensive to God, don't, or stop doing the behavior that is offensive to God. You may not even understand why God would be offended by such behavior. For example - if you enjoy consulting with mediums or psychics or even games that tell fortunes, harmless as they may seem, God's Word says, "You will be defiled by them."
When you read of actions or behaviors that are pleasing to God - do that. It is all for your own good - not because God just wants to boss you around or keep you from having fun.
Roots and light are probably the most important things that make plants do well.
God wants us to "Let our roots grow down deep into Him..." Soon you will love the words from your Bible, and you will start looking forward to those times you spend searching the Scriptures that enhance your life and those around you.
God commanded Adam to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth..." God wants Christians to produce more Christians and train them in the ways of God. Share your testimony with others. Live according to the Word of God, and you will become the Son-light in the lives of others who will be drawn to the light.
Sometimes our Christian growth does not take off because we don't spend the time, first, (from part 1), doing the necessary research. Hosea 4:6 tells us that people "perish from lack of knowledge." Do it the hard way - "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" (2 Timothy 2:15)..
To be a fruitful Christian, get plenty of SON-light. Open the book, review it often, put it into practice in your everyday life.
