Two other principles are illustrated by the process for improving garden soil, as described in the post of June 11, 2005.
Enrichment Must Come From God
The first is that the soil could not improve without help from beyond itself. It wouldn’t have gotten better, and in fact would have become increasingly depleted, without the amendments added over the years.
The same is true of us. We can only become more fruitful if God “amends” us by adding the things that we need, but do not possess. Sure, some of us are blessed with native talent that allows us to produce impressive results on our own, but we can’t sustain that without God’s active blessing. Instead we, like soil, will inevitably become depleted without the Holy Spirit’s infusions.
We Must Act on What God Gives Us
The second is that enrichment couldn’t happen if the original soil did not affirmatively act on the amendments. New organic materials must be broken down into particular nutrients before they enrich the soil they are added to. That only happens if microbes in that soil go to work digesting those amendments. Without that, the amendments don't become part of the soil; they do no good.
The same is true of our interactions with God. Although we can’t become truly fruitful without His spiritual “amendments,” they don’t do any good unless we act on them, incorporating them into our day-to-day lives. Otherwise, they are just abstract principles without impact.
(Images about gardening or soil related themes were posted October 3c, November 21, December 8, 2004 and February 28, June 11, 13 and 24, 2005.
Images about God providing things we need, but can’t provide for ourselves, were posted September 12a, 17a, and 18c, October 3a, 3b November 6, 10, 21 and 27, 2004 and January 2, 10b, and 10c, June 13 and 27, 2005.
Images about diligence/perseverance in doing God’s will were posted on October 1, 3a, 8, and 17 and November 7, 2004 and January 10c, June 11, 13, and 18; July 15 and August 27, 2005.)
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