WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.759
 Hi, this is pastoral number 11 on Friday the 29th of May and I'm not on the Castle

00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:15.359
 East Plainade and I'm not on my little green chair in the church. I'm actually in the back

00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:25.400
 garden of the Mance and took you into this beautiful part of the world. I guess if you're

00:00:25.400 --> 00:00:29.440
 privileged enough to have a garden at this time of lockdown then probably all through

00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:35.760
 Edinburgh the gardens have never looked quite so good and quite so well tended and there's

00:00:35.760 --> 00:00:40.320
 a great verse I just want to share thinking about just for a little bit from Isaiah 61

00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:46.640
 verse 11 which is for as the soil makes this makes the sprout come up and a garden causes

00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:52.200
 seeds to grow so the sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all

00:00:52.200 --> 00:01:00.359
 the nations. Now in my tatties here in the back now the tatties are a fine example I tilled the

00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:09.320
 ground cut it ready I got the seeds and I planted them and I covered them and I watered them and

00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:18.280
 I had nothing to do with their growth whatsoever that happened it just happened and there's

00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:24.599
 nothing I can do to make it go I can't look for goodness sake come on grow quicker or I want

00:01:24.599 --> 00:01:31.560
 you to give me at least 55 potatoes when you're ready it just doesn't work like that and I simply

00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:39.480
 have to sit back and rest and wait for the potatoes to grow and that's really what God's

00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:46.840
 speaking about in Isaiah chapter 61 he's reminding us if we look last Sunday at Paul planted and

00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:52.040
 Apollos watered but it's God who gives the increase and we're reminded of that and there's nothing

00:01:52.040 --> 00:01:58.600
 really that we can do and I just want to encourage you again about that to keep praying to the Lord

00:01:58.600 --> 00:02:05.240
 of the harvest and keep sowing the seeds in the hearts of different people and water that seed

00:02:05.240 --> 00:02:12.680
 by the way you love and care for them and look after them and show them the love of Jesus and I

00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:18.040
 don't think that's just about evangelism I think that's in our own lives as well I think sometimes

00:02:18.040 --> 00:02:23.560
 we feel a bit like we seed potatoes before they come out on top of the ground in the dark

00:02:24.120 --> 00:02:31.080
 nothing seems to be happening it's cold and we don't feel God's presence we don't feel

00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:36.680
 very much alive like anything's happening but we're encouraged to weigh on him and to

00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:44.599
 look forward to feeling the warmth of Sunday again with him so I think there's always lots we can learn

00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:51.560
 from nature from gardens and they're a beautiful reminder to us of what he wants us to do and he

00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:58.520
 wants us as believers to bear his fruit and you know what that fruit is the love the joy the peace

00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:05.000
 the patience the kindness the goodness the gentleness and the self-control and he wants us to have all

00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:13.159
 these that fruit in our lives and we look forward to bearing more and more fruit and living in a

00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:22.199
 place eternally a beautiful garden and with all these things will be just par for the course on

00:03:22.199 --> 00:03:30.199
 every day so continue to pray continue to look for the harvest and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday

00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:40.199
 thanks