Caleb and I planted these seeds in March. It was right after school went virtual, and we thought it was just for two weeks. I’ve never planted zinnia before. I had these seeds someone sent me in a letter at least two years ago. I was hoping they would still grow, and Caleb wouldn’t be disappointed. By June, the flowers had grown taller than us. He is definitely not disappointed.
These seeds sat unused for a long time, I hoped they would grow. Every time that we watered them, my hope in seeing the little green tops push through the soil grew. Caleb and I said a prayer of thankfulness for flowers after planting them, and we believed they would grow. PS – Caleb’s new answer to all plants is to pray over them. It's producing great cucumbers. (I mean it worked amazingly on the zinnias).
We didn’t make the flowers grow. Only God employs that power. Faith works kind of the same. God implants faith in us, the more we water our belief, the more faith grows in us. It's a mysterious work of God, but He lets us share in it by giving us the responsibility of watering.
How do we water our belief?
We remember. God plants the seed of faith in us, it’s His to plant there in the dark just like our zinnia seeds deep in the pot of earth. We remember those seeds are there, so we water them with expectation, and we keep watering even when we don’t see anything yet. The more we water, the more our anticipation grows. Our faith in God grows when we remember all the things God has planted in our lives. We rehearse blessings we have received and miracles we have witnessed, and they increase our expectation in our God.
Next year, when Caleb and I plant our zinnia seeds, we will be even more excited as we remember what a joy they were to us this year. We will both wait with more expectation of the day we see those green heads pop through. We will start to plan what people we want to bring these flowers to as a way to multiply the blessing. Anticipation builds.
It’s time to water our faith. At this moment, 2020 feels long, waiting seems forever. I need to water my faith with expectation and rehearse God’s goodness. I need thankfulness to help me keep expecting God to do the things He has promised: to make a way for us, to be a light in the darkness, to be our rear guard, to cover us under that shadow of His hand. It just looks like black dirt right now, but don't stop watering it. We can't give up right before the breakthrough.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7
I don't know what God has planted in this season, but I will keep asking, I will keep seeking, I will keep knocking because I believe a door will open. I confess that I've prayed prayers out of duty and even habit that I didn't really believe would change things. I've also prayed with confidence, and I know that our belief changes things. I know it brings God glory, and I hope it brings Him joy.
God, let my knowledge of you sink deep into my heart, and let me water it with prayers of faith, and water again with expectation of your goodness, and water again with determination to believe you. Belief is the work that you ask of us(Mathew 7:7). Help our unbelief. We pray for a revival, we pray for light to pierce the darkness in so many places. We believe. In Jesus name, Amen
Faith moves mountains. We just have to cultivate it with prayers of belief and recognize answers with thankfulness. Our faith will grow in this dark, and we will see the green growth as soon as it pops if we are expecting it.
"For in this hope we were saved.
Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it with patience."
Romans 8:24&25
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