Growing Grass and Getting God

Some find enjoyment from toes in the sand. I have always loved toes in the soft grass. For the first time, I walked around in my very own backyard with bare feet. There is a great sense of accomplishment in this. When we moved in, we had no grass. Like many of the other yards around us, we just had mud and weeds.
I found a great seed for shady places. I raked the ground and softened the soil so the seeds could take root. I sowed and re-sowed it. When it was dry, I watered it. Several times, we got too much rain and a sweeping flood destroyed most of my work. All the work I could do was still susceptible to greater forces of nature. In the end, it wasn't my work, but those uncontrollable forces that determined weather or not we would have grass this year.

I have watched it grow with great delight. This velvety green lawn is my reward. Now it is established and ready for fun. We can frolic in our backyard. Of course, I do the frolicking. Kyle does the mowing so that I can frolic to my little heart's desire.

This is so parallel to God's work in our lives. He plants in us a desire to know Him. He softens our hearts and makes it possible for us to hear His voice. He prepares us. He puts his word in our hearts. We cannot do good works or be good people to get to heaven. We are completely dependent on Jesus. He covers us with the his own blood. When we are dried up and dead in our sin, He showers us with mercy and forgiveness. He allows us to grow despite our continuing weakness.

A seed of grass cannot merely choose to grow. We, too, cannot merely "decide to follow Jesus." We're incapable. Without God's redemptive work in our lives, we will always choose ourselves, our sin, over His ways. Fortunately for us, God's Holy Spirit is able to overcome all of our resistance and make Himself our greatest joy. Heaven is not our reward, He is our reward; a reward that we've done nothing to earn and could never deserve.