A few weeks ago while completing renovations on our older home, my fiancé planted cucumber, tomato, and okra seeds in a couple of flowerbeds in our front yard. We continued watering our small garden, having faith that God would do the rest.

When we finally moved in a few days ago, yellow flowers started appearing on the cucumber plants. Each morning, we eagerly peeked underneath the large leaves to see how big the cucumbers had grown behind the yellow flowers. This morning, Francis finally spotted two cucumbers big enough to eat. We shared and savored each one as we sat on our new front porch at the start of our morning meditation.

As I sat reading Scripture on our new front porch with the taste of cucumber still fresh in my mouth, I began to think about how God plants his seed—his Word—in each of us. If we put our faith in Him, and we continue to do our part by reading, meditating on, and living out his Word each day, God will do the rest. He will make it possible to grow more and more in his likeness every day if we remain rooted in him.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

Father, I ask in Jesus’ name and through the power of the Holy Spirit that you grant us the grace to continue growing in you. Help us to cultivate the Word you planted in us so that our lives can continue to bear good fruit.