by Jordyn van Gaalen

The Living Water

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“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
Isaiah 58:11

I’ve been attempting my first garden this year. I’ve had issues with over watering house plants or not giving them enough sunshine. There have been days where I searched how to solve the problem of “yellowing leaves” and found out it could be any number of the following: over watering, under watering, too much light, too little light, root rot. The list continues and I find myself at a loss for doctoring said yellow-leaved plant. Though I look around at bright greenery in my home, I have a track record of house plant graves along the way. 

In seeking counsel in growing plants and vegetables, I was told that if plants or grass are overly watered, their roots remain short. This is actually harmful for the vegetation. With short roots, the plant becomes weaker. They haven’t been forced to reach down into the earth to find water. As a result, their roots are vulnerable to heavy winds or other potential harm. I have found that the most common killer of my houseplants has been over watering. Most of these plants I acquire need a bit of drought.

And so do our souls.

We need those times of drought, in which we have no choice but to cry out to our Heavenly Father. Through the sun-scorched days and months or even years, we find strength. We find strength through the Holy Spirit and the guidance from our Lord. We find nourishment through the Living Water. 

We have been promised a spring, but it doesn’t mean we won’t go through the heat of the summers. We will have a guide as we bear our circumstances. We will have a presence as we are strengthened, as our roots are forced to dive deeper. We will wander the sun-scorched land, but we will never do so alone. The Lord will guide us always; God is the Living Water which never fails.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado