The Master Gardener – Week Four

Potential. Have you thought lately about your potential? What are you capable of?

One thing I love about God is He takes the ordinary and creates the extraordinary. He takes the broken and discarded things and makes something beautiful. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are in life; God can use you. No matter what you have done, where you have fallen short, or the lack you feel, He can do the impossible. On our own, we are limited, but in God’s hands, our potential is limitless.

God created the world out of darkness and nothing. He performs miracles – transforming everyday items and people into the supernatural. Think about the little boy who ran with the crowd to see Jesus. In the Master’s hands, his simple lunch fed a multitude with plentiful leftovers. And what about the Samaritan woman or demon-possessed man who, after encountering Jesus, became influential evangelists? In the same communities where they were outcast, they became a shining light for God’s kingdom.

In John 15, Jesus describes our Heavenly Father as a Master Gardener. Like a good caretaker, God is cultivating His vineyard to produce the most excellent level of fruitfulness. When we abide in Jesus and entrust ourselves to God’s tender care, we can be confident of the result. Jesus explained, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name He may give you, This I command you, that you love one another.” (John 15:16-17 NASB)

Think about that for a minute. You have the potential to produce eternal fruit. You can speak life, show love, and shine God’s light. As the Holy Spirit flows through you, you can do the miraculous.

The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is two-fold. First, He transforms and heals us. Then, He allows us to bring that same transformation and healing to the lives of others.

In Isaiah 61, the prophet speaks of the ministry of Jesus – sharing the good news to the afflicted, setting captives free, comforting the hurting, restoring the broken. This chapter concludes, “For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as the garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all nations.” (Isaiah 61:11)

As the Master Gardener, God is working – not just in your heart but also among the nations. Tapping into Jesus and His mission is about so much more than us. We are part of God’s global plan.

Let me ask you again, what are you capable of? What is your potential?

In God’s hands, you can change the world. You can bring light and love to your community and the nations. Why? Because God is cultivating His fruit in your life. His work spans beyond your limitations. There is no place beyond His reach.

So, will you allow Him to cultivate your life? Will you press in to know Him? Will you wait on His timing? Will you produce His fruit?

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9