Soul Scientist

Psalm 62:5 NCV I find rest in God; only He gives me hope.

My Good Gardener God planned for me to find hope in Him.

He knows I would plant every row of the garden of my life with the cheap seed of my sin, if I had any other choice to find hope. He knows I’d settle for the mud of today instead of the fullness of fruit tomorrow if left on my own. But He is long-suffering with His loving-kindness in all His ways. He sees me there (and loves me there) in the weeds and wasteland of my own sin with a harvest of old radishes or turnips that even the pigs wouldn’t eat.

And He keeps loving.

He doesn’t turn away or leave or ignore. He stays.

He calls me His beloved (see Deuteronomy 33:12). He calls me to return to Him for rest (see Matthew 11:28-30). He calls me His very own (see Ephesians 1:4).

My Good Gardener God doesn’t give up on me.

He waits while I wander.

He loves while I linger.

He is patient while I prodigal.

Yet when I finally set down from sowing my seeds of unrest and lay down the soil of my soul in obedience, He restores the garden of my heart.

He rips out and plows up evil. He replenishes and waters with hope. He prepares and cultivates abundant life. He makes me flourish as in Song of Songs 4:16 a-b AMPC [You have called me a garden, she said] Oh, I pray that the [cold] north wind and the [soft] south wind may blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out [in abundance for you in whom my soul delights]. He prepares that table full of superfoods of obedience lush with green joy, red forgiveness, white hope, and purple righteousness, all for His Name’s sake (see Psalm chapter 23).  He shows me yet again that Psalm 34:8 is always true – Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

And there, at His table set before me, I feast on the richest of foods that I didn’t earn, pay for, or deserve as in Isaiah 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost”. And while I’m feasting, He plants deep in the garden of my heart yet another mustard seed of faith. He intends for that seed to thrive and blossom with bright crucifer-shaped flowers to draw others to Christ for true life. For His plan set in place before time began is for all to come, to feast, to receive, and to flourish in that Matthew 13 harvest referred to in 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 

If you’ve never come home to Christ as Savior and Lord of your life, now is always the right time to come. He is calling you because He deeply, dearly loves you just as you are. You don’t have to go and clean yourself up – that’s His job. Just come. His arms are wide open to you now.

If you’re looking for someone who’d love to talk with you about Jesus and His salvation for us, please don’t hesitate to contact me on the contact me here page in the upper right corner of this page. Please know I am praying for you to meet my beloved Jesus Christ Who loves you far more than you can ask or imagine.

written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2025.