Living in Hard Ground

Sometimes life deals you a bad hand. This tree is growing in hard ground. Or I should say in rock. But it finds nutrients and water even there.

What I see here is a never give up spirit. Life is hard for this tree but it survives. We can survive in difficult times. But how? We can find the nutrients and water in Jesus.  This is my prayer for me and my family. God is good!

Psalm 91

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

My God, in whom I trust!”

3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper

And from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with His pinions,

And under His wings you may seek refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,

Or of the arrow that flies by day;

6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side

And ten thousand at your right hand,

But it shall not approach you.

8 You will only look on with your eyes

And see the recompense of the wicked.

9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

10 No evil will befall you,

Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,

To guard you in all your ways.

12 They will bear you up in their hands,

That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

16 “With a long life I will satisfy him

And let him see My salvation.”
NASB

Hard Soil

 I noticed some trees that were planted in a former roadway. The asphalt and base of the road were taken up and the ground was planted in grass. But our dry summer has turned most of these leaves brown.

I took a close look at the twigs and there still seems to be life, but time will tell if they survive and will be vibrant next year.

The ground under the road was not dug up. The trees were just planted right into the road bed. The ground might of been augured up to plant the tree but ground around the tree was still packed hard.

Trees need to be able to expand their roots into the soil to gather water. Hard packed soil will restrict the roots from expanding as needed. Without the ability of the roots to grow the tree will be under a stress of lack of water.

Our life is like a tree in many ways. When I saw this example of mismanagement I thought of how we become hardened against the things of God.

Just as these trees need the soil to be plowed up so they can thrive. People need their heart to change to receive from God. Without a change of heart there is no ability to hear the things of God.

A hard heart is not conductive to receive anything of the spirit of God. What should we do with a heart that is hard?

The first step is to go to God and tell Him. God is not unaware of the problems of mankind. He will give a soft heart to those who truly want to change and live for Him.

Call unto the Lord for help. He will hear you. Repent of an attitude that rejects the things of God. Be willing to listen to the teachings of the Bible.

If you seek the Lord He will not cast you out. Deut 4:29

Lord I don't want to respond to the hard knocks of life with bitterness or a hard heart. Give me a heart to seek you and look for you in life.