While away on a trip in April, my husband, Eldon, planted flowers in a flower box to put outside my office window. The label stated these flowers can endure full sun, so we thought it would work for them to be by 
my south side office window to help provide inspiration as I write. However, these plants were not yet rooted, and the afternoon sun was too hot. We decided to move them out of the direct sun and put the window box outside my son's east side window which is shaded by a huge tree. This strategy seemed to work.
A few weeks later, Eldon cut back limbs from the tree. I did not think about the effect his tree trimming would have on the flowers. When I checked them, they were wilted and looked dead as direct sun hit them. After watering, only the ones in the center revived. The others are dead from not being well rooted and the scorching sun bearing down on them. The scriptures reveal what the scorching sun does to the seed.
"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." (Mark 4:3-8, NIV)
Four types of soil are represented—on the path, the rocky areas, the thorns, and the good soil. Like the rocky area, the flower box did not have enough room for these plants to get a good root system established. When the sun came out and scorched them, they withered and died. A few verses later Jesus explained the meaning of the parable. About the rocky places, Jesus said:
"Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away." (Mark 4:16-17)
As believers, can we be like that—joyful one moment and then suddenly sad, mad or depressed because of problems? Based on my own personal experiences, I have been. I call it my roller coaster ride. I hear the Word of God. I memorize the Scriptures. But do I put my faith to work and really believe it when the heat is on me? Or do I throw my hands up in the air, giving up? God's word is true and He's faithful whether we believe it or not. We will experience the heat. How do we react when the pressures of life come at us? James tells us how we're to act.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:2-8)
Joy—pure joy, my sisters! We will develop perseverance. My plants in the center persevered and we can be like those flowers. Trials are only temporary. The pressures I have experienced in the last month, I can count it a joy because I am maturing. I'm asking for wisdom. I'm a new parent in the realm of parenting an adult child. He's living out on his own, but I can see him experiencing difficulties in life he would not have to experience if only he would listen to wise counsel. But he needs those experiences and trials to grow. Our state requires annual vehicle inspections. My vehicle failed inspection because there was not enough tread on my tires. I had to put my faith in God to provide for new tires. He did, thank God, but not in the way I would choose. However, I need these experiences to grow and persevere. I must not doubt because of the heat or else I'll wither, not receiving from the Lord.
The June 2 entry in the My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (edited by James Reimann) reads, "If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives—not concerns, nor tribulations, nor worries." Just as the scorching sun comes out in the summer, so do trials and tribulations come into our lives. We should be so rooted and grounded in Christ, that when the sun comes, we won't wither and fall away as those who receive the word with joy, but have no root. We should be so obsessed and rooted into God that we never have to fear what comes at us. If we live Totally Transplanted lives in Christ, when the scorching sun comes, we will grow and be productive, not wither and fall away.
© 2009 Shonda Savage Whitworth
While away on a trip in April, my husband, Eldon, planted flowers in a flower box to put outside my office window. The label stated these flowers can endure full sun, so we thought it would work for them to be by
my south side office window to help provide inspiration as I write. However, these plants were not yet rooted, and the afternoon sun was too hot. We decided to move them out of the direct sun and put the window box outside my son's east side window which is shaded by a huge tree. This strategy seemed to work.
A few weeks later, Eldon cut back limbs from the tree. I did not think about the effect his tree trimming would have on the flowers. When I checked them, they were wilted and looked dead as direct sun hit them. After watering, only the ones in the center revived. The others are dead from not being well rooted and the scorching sun bearing down on them. The scriptures reveal what the scorching sun does to the seed.
"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." (Mark 4:3-8, NIV)
Four types of soil are represented—on the path, the rocky areas, the thorns, and the good soil. Like the rocky area, the flower box did not have enough room for these plants to get a good root system established. When the sun came out and scorched them, they withered and died. A few verses later Jesus explained the meaning of the parable. About the rocky places, Jesus said:
"Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away." (Mark 4:16-17)
As believers, can we be like that—joyful one moment and then suddenly sad, mad or depressed because of problems? Based on my own personal experiences, I have been. I call it my roller coaster ride. I hear the Word of God. I memorize the Scriptures. But do I put my faith to work and really believe it when the heat is on me? Or do I throw my hands up in the air, giving up? God's word is true and He's faithful whether we believe it or not. We will experience the heat. How do we react when the pressures of life come at us? James tells us how we're to act.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:2-8)
The June 2 entry in the My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (edited by James Reimann) reads, "If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives—not concerns, nor tribulations, nor worries." Just as the scorching sun comes out in the summer, so do trials and tribulations come into our lives. We should be so rooted and grounded in Christ, that when the sun comes, we won't wither and fall away as those who receive the word with joy, but have no root. We should be so obsessed and rooted into God that we never have to fear what comes at us. If we live Totally Transplanted lives in Christ, when the scorching sun comes, we will grow and be productive, not wither and fall away.
© 2009 Shonda Savage Whitworth