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When my son, Preston, was in sixth grade he chose to plant spinach for his science fair project.
He planted seeds in four plastic cups and watered each batch with a fixed daily amount of four different liquids: water, orange juice, cola, and milk. (Yes, you are correct! By day three of his fourteen-day project, the milk cup reeked to high heavens with a stinky-sour smell!)
His hypothesis was that he believed the seeds watered with water would grow faster than the seeds that were watered by orange juice, cola and milk.
Once his hypothesis was determined, he and I (his faithful mommy-research-assistant) diligently went about the task of collecting data, watering the seeds, taking pictures, and documenting his findings. The instructions on the back of the seed envelope indicated that we should see spinach sprouts within 7-10 days. Preston was looking forward to seeing the sprouts and was eager to see if his hypothesis was valid. I was too.
So we watered and we waited.
We stayed the course and did the work required with hearts that were eager to witness a green, leafy harvest.
Day seven came and went. No sprouts.
Day eight came and went. No sprouts.
Day nine. No sprouts.
Day ten. No sprouts.
When all was said and done, we were disappointed that his faithful efforts did not bear spinach.
In fourteen days not one green sprout shot up from any of the cups.
In fact, we saw no external evidence of any growth at all … not even on a root level. And although his data got collected, his project got completed and Preston received a good grade, we were both heart-sad that we didn’t get to see any spinach.
Sometimes our lives are like that science fair project.
We invest in others and are eager to see the harvest. We obey God, trust His plan and walk according to His Word. We plant seeds into the soil of our marriages or dating relationships and water them with love, hope and truth. We plant seeds into the life-soil of our friends and co-workers and water them with loyalty, time and encouragement. As parents and grandparents we “grow” our children and our grandchildren. We water them with love, feed them with the Word.
We water and we wait with great expectations in our hearts and a desire to see some growth. Desperately wanting to see fruit from our labor.
At times we see fruit. At times we don’t.
Jesus gave His disciples a trustworthy promise that if we stick to His side and stay tight to God’s will, our lives and our efforts will bear fruit.
He said in John 15:4-5, Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
When we abide in Jesus – when we trust God by turning to the Holy Spirit for guidance and to His Word for truth – you and I will bear fruit … whether we see it or not.
A person of faith believes God’s promises because His promises are connected to His character.
God’s promises aren’t flippant. They’re secure.
The apostle Paul said it like this: Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete (2 Corinthians 1:20-22, MSG).
You see, friend, the yes-and-amen promise here is that we will bear fruit, not that we will necessarily see the fruit in our own timing or even in our own lifetimes. Understanding this promise sure does help me to trust God more. And further, knowing that our faithfulness will directly impact how much fruit will be produced should challenge us to remain faithful!
All of the promises of our Covenant God are “yes” and “amen.”
We can trust His Word to be true because the character of our God is unblemished.
Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. When we remain in Him, we will bear fruit.
Sometimes we will see it. Sometimes we won’t.
Our God-confidence is bolstered when we remember that He is faithful, and that our job is to listen, seek, and obey – to remain in Him – not to try to control the outcome of the seeds that He instructs us to sow.
When we grow in our understanding of His character and rest in the knowledge that He is for us, not against us (Jeremiah 29:11), this helps us to trust Him.
Let’s strive to be women who take God at His Word and believe His “Yes” and “Amen” promise!
Dear Lord,
Thank You for planting a seed of faith in the soil of my heart through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please grow my faith. Help me to trust You more and remind me to fix my eyes on You, not on the results of my life investments.
In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.
FOR YOUR REFLECTION and RESPONSE
Are there promises found in Scripture you doubt God will fulfill?
Write a list of promises or problems you have a hard time trusting God with. Then, write a big YES or AMEN across it and trust God to answer according to His good and perfect will.
Now, click over to my blog and or hit me with a DM on INSTAGRAM and tell me what you are trusting God for today… or just simply leave a comment saying, “Yes and Amen!”
So much love!
GWEN
PS. You guys! Can you believe we are in Season 3 of the GRACEOLOGIE with Gwen Smith Podcast already? And we are out the gate with some incredible shows! Be sure to listen to the new episodes with Jordan Raynor, Valorie Burton and the new one the went live yesterday with Christian Comedian Kerri Pomarolli!
Comments 56
To bring my family back together and while I wait for God to fix it allow my husband to do the right things to take care of me and the children. Give him a kind , loving, compassionate heart for me his wife. Communication back in our relationship. To keep people out of his ear about our marriage and relationship. We have been together 23 years and his sister told him to walk away because of our issues which the issues are from his childhood.
I’m trusting that God will provide me with a path to my best friend’s heart so I can lead her back to Christ.
Good morning. I came back to this page to read the comments again. When reading what all of you are going through and standing in faith for, I was humbled. Although our personal problems and issues are important and difficult to us individually, your posts have really put mine into perspective. I am sending love to each and every one of you and praying that you will each have your prayers answered.
Yes and Amen! To the Lord healing my body of diabetes and PCOS, also that the Lord give me the desires of my heart. I desire to have the man God designed for me and family.
If Preston had planted his seeds in peat moss cups, he probably would have been successful.
Or in the ground.
YES and AMEN!!! I have been going through some struggles with my husband and my marriage and being able to have the messages from Girlfriends in God has been such a blessing. I choose to Trust God in my life to get me through the struggles and realizing that planting a seed is all I can do and He will take care of the rest. That to know that He loves me no matter what and Trust in that love. I want to be a faithful person of God and to be like Him more and more. Since I have started with emails from Girlfriends in God, He has spoken to me thought them and I am so thankful!
I am trusting God for a home of my own. Amen
Yes and Amen
Work daily very hard to trust God with my fiance being in a prison in another country. Trying not to be scared for him. Everyday I say God I trust you and wondering when the end is coming. God please do something
“YES AND AMEN”!!!
Praying for my son’s serious girlfriend Ri to put her faith in Christ. Yes and Amen, Lord. I know You have heard my prayer.
Yes and Amen. I am trusting The Lord for Physical Healing of my Non-Alcoholic Cirrhosis. I count on God to deliver me or if he wills not to heal me place me among his children in Heaven.
We live in Iowa and had a new home built. We have had to get an attorney over major issues that are wrong with the house. I hated to have to do that, but the contractor was not going to make these repairs. I am praying for Yes and Amen from God. Out of whatever we get 25% goes to the attorney and still not enough to make the full repairs. Trusting God and praying the blood of Jesus over our house. We are retired and do not have the funds to make the needed repairs.
My van that is handicap for my son with a brain injury is giving us major issues. I drove it home from Louisiana and barely made it back to Iowa. I limped into town. Praying the local shop will make the repairs needed for a reasonable price. Another Yes and Amen Thank you and God bless
Yes and Amen!!!
I am in need of a kidney to live and really struggle to trust that a transplant will happen soon. But I am now declaring YES and AMEN!
Author
Oh, Bea! I’ve been there with my Dad. Transplants are miraculous! Praying for you now, friend!
GWEN
Praying for you
Yes and amen! I’m trusting in God
First, I want to say how much I value the daily emails from Girlfriends in God. Today’s message spoke volumes to me. Letting go is something I need to do. My weight issue and out of control eating is consuming my existence. Constantly dealing with it affects so much of my life. I do like the person that I am, but not the way I look and feel. I ask the Lord for help all the time and he does speak to me, but I do not always comply. I want to take care of his temple and be a good witness for Him. There are issues in my life that food ‘helps’.Its my go to and comfort. I hate it. I hate that my life is this way. There is so much of my life to be thankful for and I am truly thankful to God for them. I love the Lord and desperately need his help. Its the letting go that scares me. Do I have another choice as what I am doing is destructive. Both emails I read today….Let go and let God and As far as the east is from the west God has removed my transgressions from me. This is the first time I have left a comment here. Feels good to get a little off my chest. Bless my God and Bless you Gwen.
My daughter is off to university next year,I’m trusting God he will place the right roommate with her…yes and amen!
To restore our family relationships
May God bless you in this ministry you are a wonderful mother I’m blessed too.in life we do have doubts in God’s plan for us when our expectation are not fulfilled in psalms 27:14 wait patiently for the Lord be brave and courageous yes wait patiently for the Lord .may God give me strength to trust and relay on him for my life, job ,husband to be YES and AMEN.
Yes and amen over the salvation of my children and grandchildren!
I believe in Jesus word and trust him yes and Amen.
Gwen-
I am asking Jesus to land a new position that I will enjoy and give me the ability to help the patient w/their quality of care. With Lundbeck, the company that I have invested my time exploring to be able to work for- I pray that the hiring manager sees my potential and is a man of faith.
Amen
I’m believing God for miracles, signs and wonders. He has me at place in my life to really trust in him. I never dreamed that the things that I have been through in the last 42 days would push and stretch my faith, But praise God!! He saw this from the beginning to now and I’m giving him the glory for what he is trying to get to me to get through me. What a mighty God we serve and its all about him. I’m grateful for his love and his guidance at this season in my life..Thank you God!!
Yes and amen for restoration for my marriage! The lord has told me he is the master creator of marriage and that he is that same god now, to not be afraid and said just as Noah obeyed him with an impossible task of following his instructions in building the ark and just obeyed I’m to do the same. My husband is still going ahead and the root of pride is what’s holding any change or resolution to come about! But today I will take God at His word and promise and say yes and amen to His plans and ways and not be afraid of them! Please I need covenant prayer to bring these strongholds on my marriage and family! Can you pray along this journey as I deal with cancer, auto immune diseases, divorce and currently fractured limbs from collapsing on Jan 3
Gwen, this morning you wrote…”When we grow in our understanding of His character and rest in the knowledge that He is for us, not against us (Jeremiah 11:29), this helps us to trust Him.”
Can you help me find the correct verse? I don’t believe its Jeremiah 11:29. Thank you very much.
Hi Cindy,
I had the same question after I read the article this morning, Such a profound article. Anyway, I was able to google Jeremiah and found that it is actually Jeremiah 29:11, instead of 11:29 It must have been a typo error. Gwen is amazing!
Have a blessed day
Guerda
Author
Ahhh! Yes! Swap those numbers! My bad! Jeremiah 29:11. 🙂
GWEN
Please pray for me that I will trust God and that He will increase my faith.
Amen, and thank you very much.
I must let go and let God. God id bigger than any problem I face and he can do anything but fail; Things happen in his time; not mine. He has a reason for everyeverything.
Yes ad amen thank you sincerly for the directions you have been taking me protect ad guide my family ad children
I am trusting God to deliver my husband from addiction & to bless us with 2 beautiful twins
AMEN
Yes and Amen I am trusting God in every part of my life and my family lives. My son is twenty 24 and he has health issues he had a kidney transplant when he was six and now doctors say he will need one in the future I trust God’s hand with his health and for a career opportunity for him to support his growing family. I trust God in my life my career that I am where I am needed and my health. Trusting God with my daughters and my grandchildren. I will Trust God. I love reading the messages every morning they are talking directly to me.
Yes and Amen!
Yes and Amen to my gentle seeds being watered by the LOVE, BLOOD and ultimate sacrifice of my LORD, JESUS CHRIST, for the salvation of my husband and children.
From an early age our son asked Jesus into his heart and he was sold out for Christ. We hit some hard times when my husband lost his job due to the housing crisis over 10 years ago.. We moved to a neighborhood that we thought would be ideal for our kids and it was at first, but our son discovered drugs there and he strayed from God and from our family. Fast forward to today – God has shown me he is in shackles but they are not locked. He only needs to step out of them – along with his fiance, but they both choose to blame us for not being there or them. We allowed them to live in our home if they would pay a small amount for rent and help out – they agreed but then went back on the agreement so we asked them to move out. There names are Samuel and Melissa. I will trust God that He will open their eyes and allow them to see the lies of the enemy. I will trust God that Samuel will come home.
I will pray for Samuel and Melissa and your entire family. God carrying you all through this.
Gwen I love to follow you in all you do. I really get a lot out of it. You always hit on things in my life. Thank you so much, God bless you always
Author
Aww, how kind! Thank you, Vickie! Only by grace, friend.
Love doing life with you!
Gwen
I have all my trust in God that he will heal my husband’s heart and allow him to stay on this earth for a long while. My faith is very strong and I have turned my worries, fears, concerns and wants over to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’m trusting God will open financial doors so we can get out of debt before we lose everything we have worked and saved so hard for over the years . blessed that God has been with us in our marriage for 40 years this year. Thank you God and Jesus Christ!!! Love your reads on life.
Yes and Amen!
Yes and Amen to healing for my grandson and myself.
Yes and amen to salvation for my whole family.
“Yes and Amen!!” This is so good, Gwen. The words also sprang into worship song in my mind as I read including “You are for me not against me”. Great way to start my morning ❤ Thank you for these words of hope and encouragement. I love how God keeps bringing the word “abide” to my attention. Affirming His desire for me…and for you!
Author
Love you, girly.
XO,
gwen
Yes and Amen
Yes and Amen!
Thank you for your daily devotional.
I am trusting God to do the impossible and send my husband home from incarceration in 2021. I am trusting God to open financial doors for us once he is home to purchase land and build a home. I am trusting God to restore my hope and faith in Him and to allow me to find a good church home with Christians that love me like God does.
Amen, I will be praying for you!
Yes and Amen!
Good Morning and thank you for this word on this morning. I am dealing with this same situation. My other half and I departed a year ago and we have invested so much time and money over a period of 11 years. It is a very painful situation. However, I have to stay consistent in trusting GOD and stop being so quick to get upset when I don’t see things I want to see. I have to trust and keep the FAITH that my relationship will get better, my finance and my preparation in passing the CPA exam.
I’m trusting God for a healthy baby boy.
I’m trusting God for a healthy baby boy. I been married for a year now.