Finding God In A Dirt Clod

Ecclesiastes 3:20 – All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. (NIV)

About a month ago, for the first time this year, I saw an advertisement for the sale of garden seeds. It was a sign that soon it would be time for spring planting.

Every gardener knows that the most important step in having a successful garden is soil preparation. After tilling my garden plot with my mini-rototiller, I find myself covered in dust. It always makes me smile, because then I think of that old joke about a child finding dust under his bed. The child says to his mother that if it's true that we come from dust and return to dust, then someone must be coming or going!

Looking at the tilled area, I notice that there are always those clods of dirt that just can't be broken down. Sometimes even a good soaking spring rain can't accomplish it. Nothing but hoeing seems to work.

While breaking apart those dirt clods with my hoe, I think how like them we are. For some reason, our hearts have become hardened. Whatever the cause, it seems that sometimes, we are just unable to receive our Lord's message without a sound thumping. Only then can the seeds of faith be planted in our hearts. Like seeds in our gardens, seeds of faith need daily tending. Through reading Scripture and praying each day, we begin to cultivate our faith, and like the seeds in our gardens, we find that the seeds of faith begin to take root, blossom, and grow.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for helping us to find You close at hand. Everywhere we look, You are there — even in the clods of dirt. Forgive us, for we confess that all too often we are not receptive. Plant seeds of faith in our hearts, and nourish them with Your great and constant love, that we might know You before the season of harvest comes. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.