As I watch my garden wind down from its burst of summer blooms, I am once again amazed at the promise our Lord gives for another summer season next year. Anyone who has studied the promises of God in the Bible realizes what a vast amount of thought He put into them. One of my favorites is when the Lord gave Joshua battle instructions while also giving him a pep talk. There are three promises here and encouragement as well.
“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous….” (1)
Everyone needs strength and courage, especially today when natural disasters and health crises can appear out of nowhere and you must adjust quickly. The Lord makes sure you know that not only is He not far off, but He is also with you every moment of every day.
This past week, I was trimming back the dead stalks of my Shasta daisies and astilbe in my garden and noticed how next year’s green growth is already blanketing the ground. A promise for next year.
Then I started trimming bushes and noticed that the buds on my camellia, which were so small as to be almost unnoticeable this summer, have started to swell promising beautiful blooms in November and December. These natural signs are encouraging promises of what is coming.
As I look ahead to the next year, sometimes I get overwhelmed with getting older. Whoever originally coined the phrase, “Getting old is not for sissies,” was right. My gardening days of digging in Carolina clay (think cement) and heavy pruning are slipping away, as is my ability to bend over for long periods of time! But whatever happens to this body as it ages, the Lord governs its timing. I keep this scripture on my refrigerator. There is nothing that we must face alone.
“For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (2)
I am encouraged by my roses, which, even though their first rush of bloom is over, continue to push out buds and flowers in September. This is a reminder that just when you think you cannot go on any further with whatever is plaguing you, He reminds you to expect His faithfulness.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (3)
We may be moving into the golden days of autumn, but the natural world is already preparing for the winter and then the spring. As I wrote last time, there is a purpose to everything. And there are also promises that cannot be broken. The Lord gave them to us throughout the Bible to help us walk with Him while we are here on earth. Bind this promise around your heart and mind.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
- Joshua 1:5-6 NIV
- Isaiah 41:13 NIV
- Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
