My garden was recently buried under snow, lifeless and dormant. Months before that, it was vibrant, bursting with color and beauty. Every year, around this time, I start feeling the pull of spring. I catch myself dreaming about what my garden will look like—imagining the joy of digging into the soil, planting seeds, and watching life emerge. Though spring is still months away, the anticipation fills me with excitement.
Gardening is such a vivid reflection of faith. When you plant seeds, you believe they’ll grow into something beautiful, even though you can’t see what’s happening beneath the surface. That’s how I view much of the work God calls me to do. Writing devotionals, teaching His Word, and walking alongside others are like planting seeds—tiny acts of faith, trusting that God will nurture them into something meaningful and life-changing. My part is small—planting, watering, and tending. But the results? Those belong to God.
Faith isn’t just a spiritual concept; it’s something we practice every day, often without realizing it. Every time you flip a light switch, you trust the power will work. When you drive, you trust other drivers will stay in their lanes. At work, you implement ideas, believing they’ll succeed. Faith is everywhere. But the difference comes when God is at the center of it. When we lean on Him, seek His guidance, and trust His promises, our faith becomes a partnership with the Creator of the universe.
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) reminds us, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
Too often, we put our faith in ourselves—our abilities, plans, and efforts. But even those who’ve achieved great success will admit that much of their journey was beyond their control. For those who know God, this truth humbles us and points us to Him as the source of every good thing. For those who don’t, misplaced confidence can lead to pride—and eventually, disappointment.
Think about planting a seed. God created it, designed its growth process, and provides the water and sunlight it needs. My role is simply to plant and nurture it. The same is true in life. When we trust God and follow His Word, He works in us to create something extraordinary. He’s the Master Gardener of our hearts, tilling the soil, planting His Word, and helping us bear fruit.
But just like a garden, our hearts need preparation. We must allow God to remove the weeds of distraction, prune the parts of our lives that hinder growth, and enrich the soil with His truth. Only then can the seeds of His Word grow deep roots and flourish.
Maybe God is waiting for you to become that beautiful garden, full of good fruit and blessings for others. Let Him plant His Word in you. Open your Bible, spend time in prayer, and pay attention to the verses that speak to your heart. Lift those truths to Him and ask Him to make them real in your life. Then, take small steps of faith, trusting that He will do the rest.
When the time is right, the harvest will come. Others will see the beauty of what God has done in you, and they’ll be blessed by it. And you? You’ll stand in awe of how God, the Master Gardener, took something so small and made it into something extraordinary.
Let Him tend to your heart. Trust Him with the process. He knows exactly what He’s doing.
Philippians 1:6 (NIV): “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
