Watering Your Life
Isaiah was confident that pouring God's word into our lives would cause them to blossom:
As the rain and snow fall from heaven,
and do not return without watering the earth,
making it bud and flourish, . . .
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
it will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (55:10,11)
There
is an endless cycle of watering the land. Water falls as rain or snow, is soaked up by the
ground, absorbed by plants, transpires into the atmosphere, and again, descends
as rain or snow. This cycle has its intended impact, causing the earth to bud and flourish. This prospering of the
earth is a picture for us: As the rain .
. . so is my word. God showers the earth with his word. But before cycling
back to God, it will achieve the purpose for which he sent it--producing fruitful lives.
Dr. Larry Crabb believes we have radically changed our view of how people bud and flourish. Instead of each person being a "fallen soul hungry for God," each person is a "psychological self capable of being damaged.” The old way seeks healing through an intimate bond with Christ and his word. The new way seeks healing by unraveling the complex dynamics of the soul—something only "professionals" can accomplish. Dr. Elizabeth Loftus explains the goal of most modern therapy:
The central question—“Who am I?"—has been
reduced by modern psychotherapy to "How did I get this way?" To understand
who we are and why we are the way we are, many therapists encourage us to go
back to our childhoods and find out what happened to us there. If we are in
pain, we are told there must be a cause; if we cannot locate the cause, we have
not looked deep enough. And on goes the search to find the truth of our lives
in the memories we have and the memories we have lost.
I know a woman who has spent years rummaging in the murky memories of her adolescence trying to recall the details of suspected sexual abuse. And some therapists believe that memories can be retrieved from one and two year-old children. Is that really possible?
Though the past can certainly enlighten the present, the dominant view of the Bible is that healing occurs when we develop a love for God through his word. Have you felt rejected by an absent father? Jesus promised: I will never leave you or forsake you. (Heb.13:5) Have you been ridiculed for a physical flaw? God's word informs you that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. (I Sam.16:7) Were your needs ignored after your parents' disturbing divorce? Jesus encourages you that your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Mt.6:8) As Isaiah promised, watering our lives with God's word will unfailingly produce a fruitful life.
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