For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
—Hebrews 10:14 ESV

Last year, our flower garden was (finally!) magnificent. All summer long, it featured beautiful roses with endless blooms, gorgeous grasses, hydrangeas galore, and sweet surprise blossoms from peonies to brown-eyed-susans.

However, our garden did not start that way. Unfortunately, after the landscapers were “finished,” we were left with starving plants rooted in clay. After months of trying to solve the problems, we hired a gardener—well, more like a plant doctor. She diagnosed and treated not only the plants but also the soil. Yes, the soil! My solution had been to add more water, but the clay soil didn’t allow for drainage, and the roots simply rotted. It was the soil that needed to change.

Of course, I complained, “Why didn’t the landscapers prepare the soil before planting?” But that alone didn’t solve the problems. The reality of the bad soil remained until the gardener tilled it and added mulch. Then she replanted almost every plant, loosening the soil from the roots and placing them in optimal spots. She also stamped out fungus and carefully removed the Japanese beetle infestation, without pesticides, one beetle at a time. She tackled poison ivy, which threatened the dogwood tree, and treated the roses with coffee grounds and deadheading.

Yes, it took time, energy, knowledge, and determination to “sanctify” that large flower garden, plus two seasons of tilling, mulching, weeding, and shaping, but the result is an array of constant beauty.

The human heart is no different. We come to God full of weeds, root rot, mold, and bugs. Most of our roots are packed with the hard dirt of sinful strongholds planted in childhood. But God is the Master Gardener. He welcomes us with open arms, and with His loving mercy, He makes us into ones who resemble Himself. That’s what it means to “sanctify.”

Like our hired gardener, God patiently tackles our persistent sins, one incident at a time, helping us overcome. He stamps out the fungus of unbelief and indifference, eradicates the ivy of bitterness, fertilizes our soil through His Word (and through the words of those who mentor us), and continues to lovingly prune us. We are now a new creation and can bear much fruit because of His loving care.

If you are stuck or cannot relate to being sanctified, please remember that God is always found amid the garden, just waiting for permission to get started. Could you invite Him into the mess? There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Give Him full access to the shame. He longs to cover you with His love and forgiveness. Allow Him to show you where those pesky weeds choke out the life of Christ. Let Him till the soil of your mind and renew your thinking so His Word can take root and flourish. Trust Jesus as the Master Gardener, and watch your garden grow.

Father, I give you full access to the garden of my heart. Sanctify me through Your Spirit and Your Word. Root out all the strongholds and make me new. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and
in peace in believing, that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13 NJKV).

Marlene McKenna

Sweet Selah Ministries 

Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service

Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)

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