“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” ~Psalm 62:1 In the past year, I have developed a growing love for plants (no pun intended). They so easily brighten and freshen up a room. There’s something about them that centers me back on the beauty of God’s creation. It has also given me something to care for and invest in. Starting with a fern as a gift from a friend, I’ve since fashioned my room into an indoor forest. I love the green and love having a piece of nature inside the home. Having surrounded myself with a multitude of plants, I’ve noticed an interesting pattern that I wonder if we were meant to emulate. In the picture above, you’ll see one of my favorite succulents leaning toward the window in a desperate attempt to soak in more of the light it so desires. Every few days, it situates itself toward the window, and I have to turn it around so that it doesn’t continue to grow in an awkward position. Whenever I turn it around, I find it in a similar position a few days later, once again leaning toward the light of the sun. It makes me wonder if God wired into all His creation an innate nudge to lean toward the light, whether it be the light of the sun or the light of our Savior. When we’re faced with darkness, there is an inner voice deep inside that tells us to lean toward the light of Christ. I think when we’re confronted with sin, temptations, broken relationships, or anxiety, an undeniable whisper within lets us know we need to turn to Jesus. Our bodies and our souls ache for it (and communicate with us), but sometimes the issue is we refuse to listen, or we simply don’t recognize those subtle messages our bodies and souls send us. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 states: “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” Scripture tells us our bodies are temples of the Lord, holy ground that He dwells in. It makes sense we should take care of them. Our bodies send us signals to indicate their needs: exercise, water, rest, fresh air. There’s a nurturing that must take place in our bodies, but it’s needed for our souls too. Jesus, Himself gives us a guide on how best to nurture and refresh our souls. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Much like plants, we have an intrinsic nudge that tells us where to lean. While plants do everything they can to find the light of the sun, our souls tell us to lean into the light of God’s Son, Jesus. In Him, we will find everything we could ever need to thrive and grow.
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