Drying Up

     I planted some herb and vegetable seeds recently and have had to keep my eye on them so they don't dry up. My husband is the gardener, I usually make the claim that, "I don't do dirt!" But recently, I received a free pair of gardening gloves in the mail and really wanted fresh herbs for our meals. So my experiment with playing in the dirt began, but not without many reminders from my husband to be diligent with the seeds as they are trying to germinate and take root. He noted that when the plant's roots are new and tender, its especially vulnerable to the elements.
     How true is that for us as Christians? If we are not deeply rooted in God's Word, daily prayers, and relationship with Him, then we are vulnerable to the elements that make up life. If we don't get filled with the water of the Word, we begin to stop growing, weaken, and die in our walk with God. We can feel that "death" in our mental outlook, relationships, and willingness to serve God.
     Walking with the Lord may not always be easy and we can get sweaty and dirty from the work that may be required, but He provides a free full armor of God, not just gloves, to stand firm against the things of this world that will try to weaken our Christian roots and dry up our relationship with Him.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.