Are You Planting Perennials? by Ann Wayne

I really enjoy my flowers on the back deck and my ferns on the front porch. They bring life to my outdoor surroundings from spring until fall. The flowers and leaf variations add color to my home. Since I love to decorate; mixing and matching flowers and leaf variations allow me to beautify the outside like the inside of my home. My creative juices flow when I place the flowers in the soil and coordinate the colors.

One morning, as I was watering the plants, it occurred to me that the perennials and the annuals are quite different. The perennials are permanent; they come back each year showing their vibrant colors and beautiful foliage. The annuals require planting each year, only to die out when cool weather arrives.

The perennials remind me of God’s Word. After they are planted, their root system develops a strong foundation for the plants to come back each spring. Isn’t this like God’s Word? If we spend time reading the Bible and memorizing scripture, it is embedded in our minds and hearts so that we can recall the passages that are needed in times of joy and in trials. Not only for ourselves, but to encourage others who are suffering and experiencing adversity.

The prophet, Jeremiah, had reached a point of desperation after the fall of Jerusalem. He spoke of the anguish that the people had gone through. Then he recalls God’s faithfulness. In Lamentations 3: 22-24, Jeremiah states, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

This passage of scripture in Lamentations inspired Thomas Chisolm, in 1923, to birth one of the greatest modern hymns regarding the faithfulness of God.  In stanza one, he writes of God's unchanging character and unfailing compassions.  In stanza two, he writes of God's faithfulness in maintaining the order of His universe.  In stanza three, he writes of God's faithfulness in forgiving our sins, providing strength for today and hope for tomorrow.  Each stanza leads to the great culminating chorus that declares the victorious words of Jeremiah, "Great is Thy faithfulness."

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin And a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, With ten thousand beside.

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

We can see this in Isaiah 55:11 too. We are reminded of the power of the Word. The Lord says, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (NKJV) When we recall the Word of God and share it with someone, it does not return void. It stands firm and cuts through anything we face. His Word restores life to His people just as the rain brings life to the flowers and plants.

As you enjoy your flowers this year, take a few moments to think about the perennials and God’s Word. They both bring beauty and life to us and return blessings to us. May the perennials be a reminder of God’s goodness and how steadfast His Word is. Are we spending time in the scriptures so that we can recall God’s faithfulness? ARE WE PLANTING PERENNIALS IN LIVES? If so, they will come back to bless us over and over again!