Working in the Garden of Sanctification

Now that it is early summer, the garden is beginning to give us veggies. All the planting and weeding and cultivating are showing results. It is also the time of year with which I struggle. I even hesitate to write this as it only reveals one of the many sins that give me trouble. One of my besetting sins. (Thank you John Owen.)

Shortly before we moved to this home, I was reading in the Old Testament and came across the whole concept of "firstfruits". (see Exodus 23:16 & 19) While I had heard about tithing as first fruits of your paycheck, the idea of giving from your harvest was a new thought for me. Since I was no longer working outside the home, my thought was that I would give a "tithe" of my garden. Sounds easy enough. I wrote a check out each payday for the church, this will be a no-brainer. You have no idea how difficult it has been for me.

Each spring as I plant and pray over each crop that is planted, I figure that I have this thing licked. Then comes the harvest. Then comes the doubt. "How will I know if I have enough for us?" Shouldn't I "get all I can and can all I get?"

Every summer I wrestle with this basic concept. Will God take care of us? Can I trust His promises?

Did the Old Testament folks struggle with this too? Of course, back then "everybody was doing it"...really, they were. But did that make it easier? In our day, we are pretty detached from the agricultural way of life and, well, if my beans don't come up, I can always buy canned ones from the store (sorry, yuck). To most of us our gardens are a hobby. We have the store to fall back on, but our ancestors and the O.T. folks did not. It seems that it is far easier to write a check than to hand over food that you have lovingly labored over. When you give the first fruits, you have no idea what can go wrong in the meantime, or what your yield will actually look like. It is an exercise in faith and trust.

In my devotions today, the scripture passage was 1 Timothy 4:10, "To this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe." The devotional goes on to talk about the hard work of sanctification. That growing in the knowledge of God is exhausting and progress is wearying. That left to ourselves, we would give up striving and be discouraged with our progress. It is discouraging for me to have to wrestle with this same issue every year. What is so sad is that I have always had enough. Always. So, after six years, you would think I had a better handle on this. Well, maybe a bit better. I don't try and talk myself out of it anymore. I've been battling with this each summer, so I know all the stupid arguments that I will throw at myself. The worst part of this whole exercise is that I really enjoy giving my veggies away! When I can give something that is a little part of me, it truly is a joyful thing. Another reason, I can't figure why I still struggle.

The long and short of it is that God uses my garden for my sanctification. He gives me the opportunity to trust him through my veggies. It might even be that whole "working out your salvation with fear and trembling" thing going on. I know that I will continue to delight in giving and just need to continue to prayerfully work out the kinks that come in the summer.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:12 & 13 NIV