Reclaiming the Same Land

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." John 14:26

Over the past seven years Bruce and I have been part of a community that is situated on a river. It is a beautiful place with an amazing view in the front but on the side sits a strip of land badly eroded. It is a small area but an important one, as it abuts up to a seawall. Over the years rain has washed the soil away, and nothing seems to grow on the ground. As past storms have crashed over the top of the seawall it has eventually pulled the soil out with it as the flow receded. So, the effort is underway to reclaim the land and build it back up with fresh soil, rock, fabric and rip-rap. The first phase is complete, and it is like there has been a revival of the land. The land looks like it is anxiously anticipating the beauty and stability of its surface to be brought in. But what would happen to all that newly reclaimed land if the next phase was not completed? How long would things stay settled without the border of rock, fabric and rip-rap? The success of the newly reclaimed land is dependent upon the follow-up work accomplished, otherwise you’ve just reclaimed the same land to no avail.

This life provides each of us with the natural flow of seasons that ebb and seasons that flow. There are storms that crash into our lives and as they recede take a little bit of our heart with them. There can be a gradual erosion that depletes us of stability, beauty and joy if we are not attentive to the area. It is so easy to look away from the work that needs to be done in our hearts from our storms. But just like the land, what good is it to reclaim the same spiritual land without moving on to the important phase?

God has given us a beautiful plan for keeping our hearts stable…attentive…prepared…rooted. He has designed a plan for our lives, but it is up to us if we will take the time to do the work. He brings in the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, and to uproot the dead things that erode our hearts. He places borders and boundaries to keep us protected from the harsh storms. He covers us with His fabric of love that filters out the things of the world. And if we are doing the things that He has designed for us, we just might see growth in areas of our lives where there has previously been none. I’m so thankful that God’s plan for you and for me is not to reclaim the same spiritual areas but to conquer new land in Him and experience the beauty of a new landscape in our lives.