In the February 3, 2008 early morning prayer meeting, Chuck began to prophesy that the Lord was moving the hedges and establishing new boundaries, dealing with the roots and allotting new assignments to people. I had been redoing the landscaping in my back yard that winter, transplanting bushes, digging new flower beds and generally establishing new boundaries and allotting new assignments for many of my bushes, plants and trees. What I found most interesting was what I discovered under the surface of the ground in those areas where we can’t see. Mostly it was the roots that amazed me, roots from other bushes or vines that had inched their way over they years into areas where they should not have been, taking more than their share of water and nutrients from plants that weren’t as vigorous. I ran into this a few years back in another house. A Boston ivy had sent roots out under most of my yard and a good part of my neighbors. Where ever a sprinkler was running in my yard or the next, the Boston ivy got most of the benefit. So I knew I had to establish new boundaries for some of those roots in my new back yard and make a way through soil mix and fertilization for the transplanted root systems to flourish.
Though we usually can’t see what is going on under the surface, the Lord always knows. When He begins to dig or prune, we usually don’t appreciate it. It’s uncomfortable. It invades our status quo. But God knows when a bad root is steeling our life flow. He knows when our soil is compacted and needs to be loosened up. None of these things are easy for a plant to handle, nor are they easy for us. But we must trust that what ever He is doing, it is for our ultimate good. Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:1-3 NKJV)
Oh, another thing I found under the ground was construction debris from when the house was built: pieces of plastic and wire, chunks of concrete and brick and even a smashed Styrofoam cup. Sometimes we need to just let God dig all that stuff up and replace it with good fertile soil. He is doing that right now in many of us so let’s let Him move the hedges and establishing new boundaries, deal with the roots and allot new assignments to us.
I light of the last two days new items, this is very timely as I know the purpose was just that. I was wondering if there was a prophetic word that would apply to things happening in Atlanta because I know the Lord does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets. At least that how I’m taking this post. Tee
Quite a few years ago, the Lord began to say to me, “I want you to walk in truth”. I thought He was talking about Scriptural truth – the Word, but He was talking about my own heart. This post about the digging under the surface made me think about that time. Although I wish I could say that I immediately yielded to His call to face the truth that was buried underneath the surface of my heart. However, it took three long years of His dealing with my heart before I gave in to the digging and pruning that He desired to do. In the depths of my heart I desired more of Him, but there were many roots that had to be dug out, not to mention the rocks and garbage that had been buried.
I also wish that I could say that it was a comfortable time in my walk with Him. However, it was far from it! It was painful and disturbing, but the good news is that the joy came in the morning because He set me free to blossom in ways I never thought possible. With all the roots and garbage collected through a life of abuse and lies that the enemy had sown in my heart gone, I began to bloom and grow and prosper in His care. In the long run, after much grace and patient endurance, I found a peace and a joy in Him that fails description!
There is no need to be afraid of His pruning and digging and rearranging. He is THE Master Gardener and He knows just what we need to bear more fruit and to bring Him more glory! He walks you through that process one step at a time with all the tenderness and love – trust one who has walked there with Him, it is worth the effort to trust and obey and choose to walk in truth.
I’m loving it….thanks for the story! Thanks Virginia for sharing also. I too have seen that ugly ivy trying to overtake the hedge like a preditor attaching itself to a plant to overtake it. It covered the hedge and blocked out the light. The hedge even had seed pods on it and if I didn’t see it in time to weed it out the pod burst open and sent its seeds to make new vines/weeds. One day as I was working on digging out the vines that had attached itself to the hedge I saw an owl on the fence. An owl during the day? Strange. Come to find out there was a snake on the hedge right where I was pulling out the vines and he was watching it. I hate snakes. I should have chopped it up right then and there but I left and the owl to do his thing.
I love how God shows us things right where we are at. Digging and plowing up the land. Trusting and walking.