Planted

In the beginning . . . God planted humanity in a world He created to flourish. God gave the original couple blessing and possibilities: “Be fruitful; multiply, fill the earth. . .” Genesis 1:28

Everything was in balance and harmony and life was grand.

Today. . . God has planted you and me in a world He created to flourish. I bet you’re thinking: “Are you sure?. . . What about all the brokenness and hate and fighting in the world? . . . Surely we must be on Plan B or C or maybe even Z. . .  It looks like it’s too late to even talk about flourishing.”

Hey, God’s intention hasn’t changed. He is all about flourishing. And He keeps on planting people in this world to help the world to flourish. Listen to this declaration God makes about people who put their trust and confidence in Him: 

“This one will be like a tree planted by water; 

it sends its roots out toward a stream, 

it doesn’t fear when heat comes, 

and its foliage remains green. 

It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.”   

Jeremiah 17:8

God gave similar words in Psalms, parables and letters.

He means it.      And He means for us to believe it.      And dream with it.      And risk with it.

We are planted in His world and He loves this world and wants it to flourish. There’s not much chance of that happening if the very ones He planted in it for that purpose give up hope and say, “It’s no use. There’s no hope.”  

That kind of speech is offensive to God and it should be to His people as well because we have been planted.

And we have been given seed to plant. Good News seed . . . His kind of Love seed . . . seed that will flourish when faith is added. It’s time to remember God’s purpose is to be our purpose. His calling is our calling. And He is about flourishing.

He hasn’t given up on this world. He still has some harvesting to do.

So do we. And we will harvest if we remember we were planted and can do some planting with His Good News and His kind of Love seed.

“This one will be like a tree. . . planted.” 

LINK to pdan's audio file for "Growing a Legacy of Integrity"  - October 2, 2016.