Productive Through Harsh Environments

Cleome serrulata, commonly known as: Rocky Mountain beeweed, stinking clover, spider flower, skunk weed and Navajo spinach, is an annual flower that has been used to provide food, dyes and traditional medicines.

Although these lovely, fast growing tall flowers are annuals, they tend to come back each year because the are "heavy reseeders", meaning they produce a large number of seeds that are housed in their elongated fruit capsules and these seeds fall to the ground and germinate when the temperature and moisture are just right.

These flowers provide color and texture during the late summer even when little else is flourishing because they are drought resistant.   They stand tall and continually grow upward, reaching for the sun.

Our lives too are like these flowers, that will soon fade away.
When we are planted in good soil we grow and flourish, reaching for the Son, and as we do that our lives elongate, even during difficulties and produce seeds for sowing.

When everything in our lives seems to be wasting away, we can still grow and reach toward the Son as we are planted in a dry land for a purpose.

Like Cleome, there is a mystery about the Christians life that grows and flourishes despite the harsh environment that we are planted in.

Often times its not for lack of water, as God makes a way in the wilderness of life for growth.

2 Timothy 3:12  NLT says

Yes, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus 

will suffer persecution.

Why is it that we will face persecution 

as we desire to live a life in Christ?

In John 15:20, Jesus reminds us

Do you remember what I told you?

 'A slave is not greater than his master.'  

Since they persecuted me, 

naturally they will persecute you.  

And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.

Throughout Christian history the gospel has been spread as God's people are persecuted by the world.

Just like seeds that are dispersed carry the information to different locations to perpetuate generations of plants to come, so the lives of Christians have been dispersed in order that the gospel might be spread across the land.

Acts 11:19-24

Now those who were scattered because of persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.  
But there were some of them, 
men of Cyprus and Cyrene, 
who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, 
preaching the Lord Jesus.  
And the hand of the Lord was with them, 
and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.  
The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem,
 and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  

When he came and saw the grace of God, 
he was glad, and he exhorted them all to 
remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 
for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.  
And a great many people were added to the Lord.

How do we view persecution?   Do we immediately take it personally?  Or do we look at it as proof that God is at work through our lives and we are his servants, who are bound to go through difficulties as we follow Him.

I am sure the early Christians were not excited about the persecution that arose after Stephen's death and I am sure they were not happy that they were scattered but God was using their dispersion to spread the gospel so that a great many people would be added to the Lord.

If we stretch for the Sun and tap into Him in the wilderness of our lives, we too can be heavy reseeders.  We can count all things joy!   We can see God's purpose and plan in our persecution.

Lord, we want our lives to count for Your kingdom.  Help us to see Your grace in our lives and be glad that we would exhort one another to remain faithful to You with steadfast purpose.

Let our lives be stretched and elongated like the seed pods of the Cleome, that we would be a beautiful flourishing plant in dry places whose life would draw many into the kingdom.  That we would provide food, color and medicine to those around us even in our most difficult times for Your glory and our good.