Walking With Christ

I might be rich if I had a dollar for every time I said the saying, “same crap, different day”. The same thing happens day in and day out. The flavor of life just doesn’t seem to change and the smell is starting to get to me. Sound familiar?

Let’s see what the bible has to say about times just like this.

We are the soil. The word is the seed.
Matthew 13:3-8 (3)And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. (4)And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. (5)Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, (6)but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. (7)Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. (8)Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.(ESV)

The seeds mentioned in verse five were not wasted. Even in the rockiest of soils, seeds can and do grow. They push roots into the tiny cracks in and between the rocks with each new generation of seed breaking the rock down just a bit more. Eventually, the rockiest of soil can be made into extremely fertile soil just by the continual planting of seeds.

Trials as Preparation and Growth.
James 1:2-4 (2)Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, (3)for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (4)And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.(ESV)

Trials are not just obstacles but opportunities for growth, preparing the “soil” of our faith to be more fruitful. While the seed is fully capable of changing the soil, a bit of help to till the soil makes the job that much faster. Nobody enjoys every trial that comes their way, but each one is a worthy lesson as the soil is prepared just a bit more for the future that God has planned. Tilling the soil removes or breaks the rocks that impede growth at a much faster rate than just waiting for the seeds to work. If enough room is made for the seeds to grow then the roots of those seeds will be deep enough and strong enough to support the future fruit that we will see.

Being Planted and Flourishing.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (7)Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. (8)He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.(ESV)

This imagery of a tree planted by water, thriving even in drought, parallels the idea that being “fertilized” by our experiences prepares us to bear fruit in every season. The roots of the tree reach towards the sometimes hidden sources of water to bring nourishment up to the tree.

The Purpose of “Fertilization”.
Romans 5:3-5 (3)Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.(ESV)

Paul’s words underscore the transformative power of our trials, turning “crap” into a fertile foundation for hope and character. The waste byproducts of another life can prepare us for what is to come. The minerals in the fertilizer might be poisonous to another seed but required for us. They might be useless to another seed and left behind. The Lord knows exactly what we will need when we get to where He wants us to be during the period of growth that He has planned.

Producing Good Fruit.
Galatians 5:22-23 (22)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23)gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.(ESV)

After enduring and growing through trials, the “fruit” we produce is of the Spirit, cultivated from the fertilized soil of our experiences.

The Necessity of Rain.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (10)For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.(ESV)

Rain symbolizes God’s word and promises—necessary for growth and fruition, turning our trials into triumphs.

We are the soil. The seed is the word. The rocks are the twisted lies of the enemy. The seeds contain all truth and the truth breaks apart lies, leaving behind usable material. The roots are our faith as it reaches out to the living water that is Jesus. The light above is the light of God and when combined with the living water of Jesus, it produces unimaginable fruit.

“Same crap, different day” means that we need more fertilizer to be ready for the massive amount of fruit in our future. If we let our roots spread far and wide until they find the source of living water through the word while we are living in the light of the Father, we can’t begin to imagine the amount of growth that is coming our way. “Same crap, different day” should be out battle cry and a shout of celebration because the Lord has plans to grow us and prosper us.