Plenty of water and food

Andy Lee shares with us, "I want to have a green thumb when I grow up.

At the age of forty-seven, I still aspire to be like my mom in this way.

Her plants were always beautiful and happy. Today, mine don’t look so happy—more like creation groaning for Jesus to come back. They need attention.

I’ve worked on my green thumb for years, and in my journey to grow healthy, happy plants, I’ve learned some important precepts along the way.

A huge lesson I’ve discovered is that plants need food as well as water. When I fertilized my plants, they were greener and grew bigger. This was revolutionary to me.

One day as I fertilized my geraniums, this thought danced through my mind: Prayer is like water, and reading the Bible is like food.

You need both to grow spiritually healthy.

This thought went straight from my head to my heart because it’s easy for me to pray all day, but I have to be intentional when I read my Bible every day.

It takes a little more work, but God instructs me to mediate on His word. Here, in His word, He teaches me.

I confess that during the winter months I do not take care of my indoor plants or the outdoor ones as I should. I get lazy. I forget.

Sometimes they don’t get water, much less food, but they limp through to the spring.

I do the same in my spiritual life too.

Some seasons I consistently study, read, and pray, watering and feeding my soul.

But in other seasons, I get too busy or lazy, and my spirit begins to wither. My leaves begin to fade.

How about you? Is your spirit healthy and fruitful or is it withering, suffering from a lack of water and food?

Water your soul today. Pray.

Feed your spirit today. Read the Bible.

God promises that when we do, our roots grow deep, and we will flourish and be fruitful even in drought."

"His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither." Psalm 1:2,3 (NIV)

Watering and Feeding Your Soul – Andy Lee

April 18, 2013

Andy Lee is a writer for Wilmington FAVS, an online religion publication.

She also writes her own inspirational blog and speaks to women’s groups every opportunity she gets.

She loves inspiring and encouraging women to step out into their call from God.

Andy is currently represented by the Blythe Daniel Agency, who is helping her find a home for her first book, A Mary Like Me.

She lives on the coast of North Carolina with her sweetheart of twenty-two years and their three almost-grown kids.

She’s not sure if she wants them to grow up, but she knows that at forty-seven she still needs her mama.

To read more of Andy’s encouragement, go to: www.hernamewasmary.blogspot.com and www.wilmingtonfavs.com.

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Used by permission www.christiandevotions.us

Prayer today: Father, forgive my lack of attention to reading Your word, as I can see that it is to feed my soul. May I remember that time spent with You is of utmost importance for the effectiveness of my Christian witness. Help me to make time to pray and read Your Word every day. In Jesus' name, amen.

Our Scripture for when business is poor: Psalm 37

Today’s quote: John C. Maxwell – “Character is a quality that embodies many important traits such as integrity, courage, perseverance, confidence, and wisdom. Unlike your fingerprints that you were born with and can’t change, character is something that you create within yourself and must take responsibility for changing.”

Our thought today: How does the gospel relate in your relationships? Are you living as unto the Lord?

Tomorrow’s post: How Can We Lose When We're So Sincere? Debbie Hardy

A popular post: UNDER THE JUNIPER TREE