Planting Abundantly – Ezekiel 17

A text – Ezekiel 17:22-24

17:22 Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. I will break off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs; I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

17:23 On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar. Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind.

17:24 All the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD. I bring low the high tree, I make high the low tree; I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I the LORD have spoken; I will accomplish it.

A reflection:

This week it’s all about planting. Planting that is successful, where growth happens, the plant matures, and far more than the plant flourishes and is blessed because of one single act of planting.

In this prophesy from Ezekiel, the Lord says, “I myself will take a spring from the lofty top of a cedar…a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs…” Just as in the creation story where the Lord stoops to sculpt a human being out of the clay, God the Creator is taking one tender spring from a cedar tree to nurture into a new lofty tree on the high mountain of Israel. It will become big, yes, but even more, it will bear fruit and become a noble cedar, and it will be a home to every sort of winged creature.

A single act, a single twig or sprig, a single deed becomes large. It is as if within that small and tender fragile thing lies the greatest abundance the world can imagine. God has created the world in such a way that within small things lies great potential, the promise of bigger, even more useful, even more protective creations, even more wonder and goodness. We cannot see it, but we know it is there, because we know what kind of God we have: a creator who can accomplish abundance every single day.

What do we make of this promise of abundance? Not very much, usually. But what might we make of it? If you knew that one gesture of yours today, given to someone on your daily rounds, could multiply for that person into a blessing of more trust, more joy, more rest, more delight, wouldn’t you be generous with your gestures? God will bless anything you plant. So how might you and I say what the Lord says: “I will accomplish it,” meaning that we will plant the gesture of love or trust, and the Lord will accomplish the abundance-making…? Look for a place to plant goodness, kindness, and trust today, and see what happens. Be part of the Kingdom of God coming near.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for letting us plant, by your example. Help us to sow seeds and plant sprigs that will bless others in our circle. Help us to remember that you are always a God of abundance, and that nothing we do that you bless will go to waste. Help us to remember that what our Lord touches will flourish in order to bless everything else. Amen.