Black Church News in Virginia
Marriner’s Moment: Emerging Victoriously: A New Day – Part 2
Grove Church
As we emerge victoriously in 2017, we must find our footing and grab hold to God’s unchanging word for guidance, comfort and peace. Christ has not left us defenseless or powerless. We have the immutable Word of God – His laws, requirements and guidelines – to help us successfully navigate life on this earth.
We should view ourselves as stewards of God’s vineyard. Each of us is or has the power to be master gardeners in the vineyard of life. We can plant, nurture, cultivate and reap bumper crops, or we can moan, groan and allow external forces—of which we have no control – to render us useless and defeated while we continue to yield poor harvests.
We can work hard to ensure that the crops we yield are plentiful and bear good fruit by starting each day tending to our garden of life. We can drench our day in prayer, weeding out bitterness and unforgiving spirits. We can plow ahead, enriching the soil of our lives by digging deeper into God’s Word. We can talk to the Landowner (God) daily and, instead of asking for things, ‘listen’ to and for His response. We may occasionally have to ‘shake things up,’ till our soil and spread more seeds, to ensure we yield productive crops. These seeds include prayer, studying God’s Word and waiting for His response.
If we want to make a difference in our small garden plot, we may have to unearth new or uncharted territory. Instead of complaining about a poor crop, we may need to seek ways to leave our comfort zone, ask for help, and explore other options as we plant seeds outside of our own gardens. These new seeds may not yield fruit immediately, but 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 (NIV) reads, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
”Peace and power
© Dr. Melvin O. Marriner,
Grove Church
January 2017
