Merciful Redeemer & Grace of our Father
When my dad was alive, he could make anything grow—anything! Dad had a “green thumb” I guess we could say, and truthfully, I thought I did too, until this past year. Years ago, dad went to my grandparents’ yard, cut a limb from their grape arbor, stuck it in the ground, and now (forty + years later) the arbor continues to bear fruit.
Time and again, over this past season, I drove to mom’s, cut a limb from her grape harbor, hopeful that I would be able to enjoy the luscious grapes from my yard. For years, I have grown a garden (somewhat like dad), but never just like dad. His garden was always more plentiful, always more bountiful, and always less weedy.
Walk with me, into God’s Infallible & Holy Word to see what God teaches us regarding His mercy and grace.
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
And tear your heart and not merely your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in mercy
And relenting of catastrophe.”
(Joel 2: 12-13 NASB)
Our dad, he was so many things.
Dad was a horseman.
Dad was a herdsman.
Dad was a worker.
Dad was a son, a brother, an uncle and
Dad was a husband and a father, but mostly,
Dad was a gardener.
My mom still speaks words like this: “I always knew your dad would gather the vegetables from the garden and bring them to the house. I never had to worry about that task.” Now, with all the vegetables gathered, that left plenty of chopping, breaking, washing, and canning for mom to do, but that’s a story for another day. Today, our focus remains not upon the harvest but upon the PLANTING.
Good Soil.
Good Rainfall.
Good Drainage.
Good Seed.
Good Fertilizer.
Plenty of Sunshine.
Voila, a bountiful crop.
At that point, all that remains is the gathering, BUT WAIT, what if—
The soil is just any soil & not chosen with care. & what if—
The rainfall comes not when needed or drowns out the plants? & what if—
The drainage from the slope of the land saturates rather than drains away the abundance of water. & what if—
The seed is old or planted too early or too late? & what if—
The fertilizer lands too closely to the plant and causes it to burn? & what if—
The dark days come more than the days of light.
What if—the gardener did not really care about the planting of the seed?
What if—the gardener did not really care about the tending of the garden?
What if—the gardener did not really care about the chopping of the weeds?
Yes, What if—
At that point, all that may come is a barren and desolate garden where no crops can ever be gathered.
The image of a barren garden may reveal the lip-service we often give to God when His Holy Spirit brings to light our sin.
Just as the image of a bountiful garden can reveal how God’s mercies are new every day. &
Just as the image of a dutiful Son of God can reveal the grace we know through Jesus.
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“Return to Me with all your heart, . . . ”
(Joel 2: 12a NASB)
God sees us, all parts of us!
God sees our goodness He creates within us, &
God always sees our sin.
The soil, the seed, the rainfall, the sunlight, the nutrients, the EVERYTHING—comes to our lives from Jehovah God.
The image of a Master Gardener portrays our Savior Jesus who stands ready to receive us.
The Holy Spirit brings conviction to our hearts.
That is why true repentance is found deep within our being and not merely a show for the world to see.
Then, they will REALLY know we are Christians—by the real change they continually see in us.
“And with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
And tear your heart and not merely your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God, . . . “
(Joel 2: 12b-13a NASB)
God is just!
God knows our intentions, whether they are pure or merely a fake for show.
God sees our heart, and He sees the interior of our soul.
God is totally justified in exacting His anger over our sinful ways.
The renowned preacher from the early days of America’s birth as a nation—Jonathan Edwards—said these words to describe a repentant believer—
“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
“For He is gracious and compassionate, [our Father God is]
Slow to anger, abounding in mercy [our Heavenly Father is]
And relenting of catastrophe.” [our Merciful Father is]
(Joel 2: 13b NASB)
God is everlasting!
God speaks to us, over and over and over, leading us to return to Him.
God, our Creator, loves us forevermore!
God, our Father, loves us too much to allow us to continue in our sin.
Even if we only committed one (1) solitary sin, still we would need a Savior.
Even if we only committed one (1) solitary sin and NEVER Repented, we would face eternal separation from a merciful God.
Even if we only committed one (1) solitary sin, we would need the grace found in Jesus.
Even if we only committed one (1) solitary sin and Repented, we would share eternity within the presence of Almighty God.
Even if we only committed one (1) solitary sin and Confessed Jesus as our Savior, following Jesus as Lord for all the world to see, we would spend eternity with the KING of Kings.
F—Food (God’s Word)
A—Available (to all of us)
I—In (while we are alive)
T—The (God’s creation)
H—Household (God’s Garden of Faithful Followers)
“And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. . . .
Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
(Acts of the Apostles 3: 16 & 19 NASB)