“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. …They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.” Isaiah 35:1-2 ESV
Spring has come and gone. Summer is more than halfway over. There’s been plenty of sunshine and more than enough rain to quench the thirst of all things green and growing. And yet, since its arrival over five years ago and despite its continued evidence of life, my iris has not bloomed.
When it arrived, the iris was in full bloom. Its deep purple blossoms filled my heart with beauty and brought tears to my eyes. It was an extraordinarily thoughtful gift from a sweet friend given to comfort and remind me of my momma, who had left us to join loved ones awaiting her arrival in Heaven.
Momma loved digging in the dirt to plant bulbs and seeds. She nurtured her flower beds like she did her children, with love, tenderness, and firmness. Momma guarded her blooming offspring with diligence and exceptional care, always on the lookout for any insect or critter that might cause harm.
She especially loved her irises, which flourished under her tender care. The dark purple irises were among her favorites. So I was thrilled to have a beautiful iris whose annual blossoms would be a sweet reminder of Momma.
When the iris sprouted healthy leaves but didn’t bloom in its second year, I worried that I was doing something wrong or that I wasn’t doing something needed. I talked to my garden-savvy friends for advice. I looked at online resources. I bought some “flowering-plant-growth-food.” But that second year was a busy one. I never got around to implementing any of the good advice I received. Maybe I sprinkled some of the plant food on it, but I can’t remember now.
In the third year, when the iris plant seemed to grow but again no flowers appeared, I gathered more information on steps to take that would encourage the iris to reveal its beauty. It was another busy year, and as I removed the dead leaves at the end of the summer, I wished the iris well in the coming year.
I stuck to my lack-of-care routine in year four, and sure enough, I got the same result—no flowering blossoms.
So this morning, when I looked out the French doors, I was irritated to see the large planter filled with the long green iris leaves and not a single bloom. I considered the next step I should take with the rebellious iris that refused to flower. My first thought was to pull the plant out of the planter and place it in the garbage so that I would never worry over it again. Then I thought, well, maybe I should give it one more year to get its act together. Okay, done.
I settled in for my Bible-reading, devotions, and prayer time. As I worked through my reading and began my prayer time, these thoughts came to mind,
- “How often do we get frustrated with ourselves or with God because we’re not seeing growth in some area of our life, when the truth is we have not taken hold of God’s promises?
- How often do we feel defeated or disappointed when we know full well that we are the cause of our defeat or disappointment because of disobedience or unconfessed sin?
- How often do we ask God, “Why am I not flourishing in my faith?” when we know that we’re trying to do it in our own strength?”
We may attend church regularly. We may hear great messages preached—we might even take notes. We try to read our Bible and pray regularly. We might even attend a Bible Study or two throughout the year. But nothing seems to change. We’re not growing—we’re not flourishing in our faith. We’re certainly not blossoming and blooming.
I’ve learned that knowing what God expects and what He has done to equip us in our faith walk is not enough.
It’s much like me with my iris. No matter how much expert advice I receive for getting irises to bloom, it is pointless. That is, it is meaningless if I never act on the advice received. If I don’t use the instructions I’ve been given by people who know all about creating a flourishing, flowering garden, those instructional conversations were a waste of time.
It’s not the iris’s fault that it is not blooming. It’s my fault. I’ve not taken the steps that my wise garden friends encouraged me to do.
I cannot wish it so or desire so deeply that it will be. If I don’t employ the solutions that I’ve been told are essential to the health of my iris, I will never again see the deep purple flowering blooms that my iris can produce when it’s given the proper care and affection.
And I will never flourish in my faith walk—I will never see how beautifully my faith can blossom, if I do not put into practice what I know to be true because God has said it to be so and because I’ve seen it to be true in the lives of others who lead godly, impactful lives to the glory of God.
And, friend, neither will you.
Paul writes to the Christians at Philippi, “You have work to do, in partnership with God. He is working in you, as you are walking in obedience and faith to do the work He gives you to do. He will not leave you stranded on your own, but you have to be an active participant in the growing, blooming process.” (my paraphrase)
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13
Knowledge of who God is and what His Word says is the beginning of a great foundation. But until you appropriate that knowledge for yourself—until you internalize and take hold of God’s Truth and make it your internal compass for living—until you allow God’s Holy Spirit to work in you and through you, only then will you begin to flourish in your identity as a Child of God.
Then and only then will you blossom and bloom in such a way that the beauty of God Almighty is evident in you. You will be a fragrant and flowering testimony and blessing to those around you.
“They [referring to Israel and God’s people] shall return and dwell beneath My shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. –It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from Me comes your fruit. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them.” Hosea 14:7-9
