God the Gardener: Steadfast Love and Patient Growth

Devotional

Day 1: Steadfast Love: A Long Obedience in One Direction

God’s steadfast love is the long, patient commitment of a gardener. He is not rushing you to results; He is growing you to flourish. The Christian life is not built on flashes of intensity but on a long obedience in the same direction. Advent reminds you that God tends you for the sake of generations you may never see. Today, receive His steady care and release the hurry that keeps you anxious. His love stays. [35:40]

Nothing in all creation—whether death or life, spiritual powers or earthly rulers, what presses you now or what worries you about tomorrow, the heights or the depths—can sever you from God’s love revealed in Christ Jesus. — Romans 8:38–39

Reflection: Where are you tempted to chase quick spiritual results, and what one sustainable practice this week could help you lean into God’s long faithfulness?

Day 2: Roots First, Fruits Later

Roots sink before branches bear. God strengthens what is unseen long before fruit appears. Roots deepen in dark soil—places of waiting, prayer, and perseverance. He is not absent in the hidden seasons; He is anchoring you against future storms. Trust that today’s obscurity is not wasted but necessary for tomorrow’s fruit. Let your first desire be depth with God rather than display for others. [40:27]

A surviving remnant will put down roots below and, in time, will bear fruit above; the order matters—depth first, then visible growth. — Isaiah 37:31

Reflection: What “hidden root” (humility, endurance, prayerfulness) might God be strengthening in you right now, and how will you quietly nurture it this week?

Day 3: Pruning, Weather, and Patient Care

Healthy trees are tended with pruning, protection, and patient watchfulness. God lovingly cuts back what will not bear life, enriches the soil, and covers you when the frost comes. Pruning feels like loss, yet it is preparation for greater strength. Discipline is not punishment but care from a wise Gardener. Where convenience would neglect you, love attends to you. Receive His forming hand without fear. [38:57]

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener; branches that bear no fruit He removes, and branches that do bear fruit He trims so they will yield even more. — John 15:1–2

Reflection: What is one attachment or pattern you sense God trimming back in this season, and how can you open your hands to Him in that specific area?

Day 4: The Genealogy and God’s Patient Gardening

The long list of names at the start of Matthew is the record of God’s steady gardening. Through triumph and scandal, exile and return, God kept a remnant alive until Christ—the first fruit—appeared. Jesus did not arrive out of nowhere; He is the culmination of promises patiently kept. Your name, too, is held within this faithfulness. God is weaving your story into His orchard for the sake of those who will come after you. He never stops tending. [44:31]

This is the account of Jesus the Messiah—son of David, son of Abraham—carried through generations of both the renowned and the broken, until, in God’s perfect timing, Jesus is born. — Matthew 1:1–17

Reflection: Whose names belong in your personal “genealogy” of faith, and how might you honor one of them this week with gratitude or a reconciling step?

Day 5: Trust the Gardener; Rest in Abundance

The call is not “try harder to grow,” but “trust the Gardener.” Because His steadfast love spans generations, you can rest in His timing and care. In Christ, the first fruit has appeared, and the harvest is sure. In this love there is refuge, nourishment, and abundance—not anxiety. Set down your self-reliance and drink from the river of His delights. Trust, and let peace root you today. [47:48]

How priceless is Your steadfast love, O God; people find shelter beneath Your wings, feast at Your table of abundance, and drink from the river of Your delights. — Psalm 36:7–8

Reflection: If you stopped trying to force growth and chose to trust the Gardener, what would rest look like for you over the next 48 hours?

Sermon Summary

In this fourth Sunday of Advent, I invited us to see God as the patient gardener who loves for the long haul. We began with the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ, and then we named honestly the ways our lives can look like withered trees—diseased branches, bitter fruit, shallow roots. In that honesty, we received mercy. From there, we looked at how flourishing never happens accidentally. It takes soil, pruning, protection, and attention. That is how God loves. His love isn’t a flash in the pan; it is steadfast—committed, attentive, durable.

Isaiah’s image of a remnant taking root below and bearing fruit above gives us the order of a spiritual life: roots first, fruits later. Roots grow in darkness, long before anything visible appears. So much of God’s best work happens beneath the surface, slowly, quietly, over time. Advent names that slowness: God refuses to rush the harvest because he is forming resilient people, not producing quick results.

That’s why Matthew begins with a genealogy. We don’t start with fireworks or angels; we start with names—stories of triumph and scandal, courage and failure. That list isn’t filler; it’s a record of patient gardening. Through exile, repentance, waiting, and obedience, God kept tending his orchard until Jesus appeared as the first fruit, not the end of the story but the promise that more is coming. In Jesus, we see that sin doesn’t win and death doesn’t get the last word. The same gardener who worked through Israel’s long history is tending your life now.

So the call today isn’t “try harder to grow.” The call is “trust the gardener.” Trust him when you feel the shears of pruning. Trust him when nothing seems to be happening. Trust him when the weather turns harsh and your branches shake. His steadfast love creates the environment where human lives actually flourish—refuge, abundance, and delight. The gardener has come. The first fruit has appeared. In that love, we can rest.

Key Takeaways

1. Roots first, fruits later Fruitfulness is the overflow of hidden work. God often strengthens what we cannot see before he unveils what we can. Waiting is not wasted time; it is rooting time. Let the silence and darkness serve your depth. [40:02]
2. God is the attentive gardener God is not distant or reactive; he is invested and present, tending the conditions of your life with patience. He prefers resilience to speed, formation to performance. His aim is your flourishing across generations, not a quick fix for this week. [37:31]
3. Pruning prepares deeper fruitfulness Loss, correction, or change is not punishment but preparation. Pruning removes what drains life so what remains can bear weight in storms. Trust the hand that cuts; it belongs to the One who plans your harvest. [48:06]
4. The genealogy reveals patient redemption Matthew’s list of names is sacred evidence that God writes straight with crooked lines. He gathers stories of faith and failure into a single, faithful storyline that leads to Christ. Jesus arrives as the first fruit of centuries of steadfast love. [42:57]
5. Waiting means trusting steadfast love Advent does not command frantic growth; it invites settled trust. The gardener who brought Christ “at just the right moment” has not forgotten you. Rest in the love that stays, tends, and completes what it begins. [47:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:15] - Advent Candle and Hymn 351
[14:18] - Isaiah Greeting and Joyful Joyful
[17:06] - Confession: Nothing Separates Us
[20:58] - Passing the Peace: God Loves You
[32:29] - Gardening and the Long View
[35:40] - Steadfast Love: Long Obedience
[40:02] - Roots Before Fruits
[41:41] - Why Matthew Starts with Names
[44:14] - Jesus, First Fruit of Redemption
[47:20] - Trust the Gardener in Waiting
[49:03] - Prayer: Steadfast Love at Work
[56:52] - Joy to the World
[59:14] - Christmas Eve Invitation and Birthdays
[60:52] - Benediction: Go in Peace

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Isaiah 37:31
- Matthew 1:1-17
- Psalm 36:7-9

Observation questions

In Isaiah 37:31, what happens “below” and what happens “above,” and in what order are those two actions?
In Psalm 36:7-9, what three images describe life under God’s steadfast love? Name them specifically.
Skim Matthew 1:1-17. Identify one name that brings to mind moral failure and one that brings to mind courageous faith. What stories do those names carry into Jesus’ family line?
List at least three specific ways the apple-tree gardener tended his trees (for example, soil testing, pruning, weather protection, disease control). Which details stood out? [34:10]

Interpretation questions

Isaiah 37:31 emphasizes roots before fruits. Why might God prioritize deep, hidden rooting before visible results? How might that explain seasons that feel slow or quiet?
Matthew begins with a genealogy full of both triumph and scandal. What does that say about the way God redeems real history and real people?
Psalm 36:7-9 describes refuge, abundance, and delight. How does that picture redefine “flourishing” compared to a performance or speed-driven mindset?
“God never rushes the harvest; he’s cultivating resilience.” What would resilience (not just quick results) look like in a church community? [41:11]

Application questions

Roots before fruits: Where do you most feel pressure to “produce” right now? What quiet, hidden practice will you protect this week so your roots can deepen (for example, 10 minutes of silence, a simple prayer at midday, a phone-free walk)? Be specific about time and place. [40:02]
Attentive gardener: Where do you notice small, quiet evidence of God’s care in your life lately? Share one area that seems beneath the surface where God might be tending you. [39:20]
Pruning as preparation: What is one habit, commitment, or pattern that may be draining life from you? What is one step you can take this week to cooperate with pruning (say no, simplify, confess, set a boundary)? [48:06]
Waiting and trust: Name one part of your life where “nothing seems to be happening.” What would trusting look like for the next 30 days—one concrete practice of rest, surrender, or obedience? Who could walk with you in it? [47:20]
Patient redemption in the genealogy: Choose one family or personal story you’d rather hide. How might you invite God to weave that story into his redeeming work? What is one action you will take (a call, an apology, counseling, a written letter)? [42:57]
Refuge, abundance, delight: Where do you usually run for refuge when you’re stressed? What practice will help you “feast on abundance” this week (for example, a gratitude list, a Sabbath meal, a generous gift, Scripture meditation on Psalm 36:7-9)? [46:27]
The long view: Identify one faithful practice you want to plant now for the sake of children, grandchildren, or the next generation (blessing at the table, weekly prayer, serving together, consistent generosity). What small start can you make this week? [37:55]

Sermon Clips

Jesus doesnt arrive suddenly
Jesus doesnt arrive suddenly
Jesus doesnt arrive out of accident
Out of nowhere
Unexpectedly
Jesus is the result of Gods long obedience
His long faithfulness in the same direction
This is Advent hope
That God never stopped gardening
Even when things look their bleakest and most hopeless
The most insurmountable
Even over the hundreds of years of silence from God

Steadfast love is the environment that God creates for flourishing
Its a place of refuge and not fear
Its nourishment not scarcity
Its abundance not anxiety
Gods love for you
Gods love for you is love that stays
Its love that tends
Its love that commits to the long haul

As Advent ends the message is never try harder to grow
Try really hard this year to get it together and pull some growth together
And God will be really delighted
Try really hard to grow please
The message is always trust the gardener
Trust the God whose steadfast love spans generations
Trust the God who brought Christ at just the right moment
Trust the God who practices a long obedience in the same direction with you
Trust God

God is the gardener we read in Isaiah and in the Psalms
God is a gardener who also practices a long obedience in the same direction
God practices a long faithfulness towards the same goal
He never abandons his work midway
God never rushes the harvest
He tends to his people

Roots first fruits later
Roots first fruits later
And what happens
Roots grow slowly
Roots take their time
Roots deepen in the darkness
They form long before anything visible appears
And God says to his people I am strengthening something in you that you cannot yet see
Im at work in your life in ways that you havent yet noticed

A remnant is sort of a small group of faithful survivors
God is cultivating a remnant carefully ensuring that one day Christ the first fruit of that tree would be born
Jesus doesnt arrive suddenly
Jesus doesnt arrive suddenly
Jesus doesnt arrive out of accident
Out of nowhere
Unexpectedly
Jesus is the result of Gods long obedience
His long faithfulness in the same direction
And this is Advent hope

God is not distant from us
God is not indifferent to us
God is not simply reactive to us
But God is deeply invested in us
God is doing the slow and faithful work of forming a people for himself
A people that will bear his name
And this is good news
This is good news

In scripture this first fruit is never the end of the story
Its the promise of more to come
The first fruit isnt the point of the tree
Its the promise of more to come
Jesus is the first fruit of Gods redemptive work
Proof positive that sin doesnt win

Even though you may feel like youre in a season as a young tree facing harsh weather
Maybe you feel like youre a vine getting pruned and you dont want there to be any changes
You dont want to lose anything
You dont want to give that up
And God comes along and says Im pruning you preparing you
Maybe you feel stuck in a season and you cant see any discernible growth at all
But Advent love assures us God is still tending
God is still faithful

The first glimpse of a new covenant
The first taste we have of this New Testament
This list of names
Why a genealogy
Because this is the record of Gods patient gardening
This is what it looks like when God is tending the orchard
Generation after generation after generation
Name after name after name
Through exile and failure
Repentance
Obedience
Waiting
God keeps tending his people
Some of the names in that list represent stories of tremendous faith and triumph

No one commits to that kind of work casually
Nobody accidentally plants an orchard
You only do that if youre motivated by something deeper than convenience
If Bob really just wanted apple cider he could go down to the local grocery and have as much as his heart desired
But you do this for a love of something
You do this for the love of the work
You do this for the love of a future that you may never fully see

It requires sustained care
And this is not something that we do based on convenience or ease
Its something that calls for devotion from us
And scripture tells us that this is actually exactly how God relates to us
That God is not distant from us
God is not indifferent to us
God is not simply reactive to us
But God is deeply invested in us
God is doing the slow and faithful work of forming a people for himself

Matthew begins his story with a genealogy
With this list of names
Its not fireworks
Its not angels singing
Its not an earthquake
Its not lightning from heaven
Its this list of names
Boring
Long
But it isnt just names is it
Just like youre not just a name
Every one of those names is a story

He tends to you with steadfast love
Because hes aiming at your flourishing
And hes aiming at the flourishing of your children
And the flourishing of your grandchildren
And the flourishing of generations that youll never know and never see
Hes aiming at the flourishing of the cosmos that he created originally beautifully and perfectly

There are certain kinds of gardening that require a longhaul view
If youre going to plant green beans or lettuce or cabbage you can plant the seeds in the ground and in fairly short order you can expect to harvest something
I remember when I was in kindergarten or first grade we had a little vegetable garden that my parents let me set up outside the front door of the house
And at the beginning of the summer season I would plant some seeds and by the end of the summer we were enjoying a salad out of my garden

If you decide to plant a apple tree you are not going to harvest any apples for years and maybe as long as a decade
I learned about apple trees from a member at our former church in Michigan
Bob was a retired PhD chemist and he was fanatical about planting his apple tree orchard in the backyard of his house

And so after his retirement well into his mid and late eighties Bob was still working to fine tune the orchard that would produce the result that he was looking for
I learned by watching Bob that fruit trees require long term care
He would be out there every year pruning his trees cutting off branches that werent quite as fruitful as others

This is the kind of work that Peterson is describing
This long obedience in the same direction
Its nothing dramatic
Its nothing startling
But its durable
And God is not rushing us towards results
But hes cultivating resilience
Advent reminds us that Gods faithfulness outlasts any one single season

The message is always trust the gardener
Trust the God whose steadfast love spans generations
Trust the God who brought Christ at just the right moment
Trust the God who practices a long obedience in the same direction with you
Trust God

As a research chemist he was very interested in what was in the soil and he would send soil samples to various labs and get the results and figure out just what he needed to do to make the soil do what he needed it to do
He was always watching the weather and if there was a freeze or a frost coming Bob knew about that before anybody else did and he would be out there covering and caring for his apple trees

The confirmation that God always finishes what God starts
The gardener who worked patiently through Israels history
Is still working today in your story
The God who worked through the ups and downs
The failures and triumphs of the people of Israel

Your life is not the exception to Gods patience
Your slow growth doesnt frustrate him
Your waiting doesnt surprise him
God works deeply and therefore slowly

Growth happens slowly Growth happens intentionally
Transformation happens with patience
God works deeply not quickly
Advent especially today as the season of Advent draws to a close and we are now ready to look forward to Gods longawaited response to a broken humanity and a broken cosmos

Anyone who knows anything about growing something knows this
Plants dont flourish by accident
Without care the weeds will choke the soil
Without pruning trees will weaken in the face of the storms

Flourishing on the other hand requires attentiveness
It requires discipline
It requires patience
It requires sustained care
And this is not something that we do based on convenience or ease

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Why does Matthew begin with a genealogy?

What does roots first, fruits later mean?

How does steadfast love cultivate human flourishing?

God the Gardener: Steadfast Love and Patient Growth

Devotional

Day 1: Steadfast Love: A Long Obedience in One Direction

Day 2: Roots First, Fruits Later

Day 3: Pruning, Weather, and Patient Care

Day 4: The Genealogy and God’s Patient Gardening

Day 5: Trust the Gardener; Rest in Abundance

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

God the Gardener: Steadfast Love and Patient Growth

Share