The Gifts of Lent: Flourishing
Passage (NIV): Jeremiah 17:5-8, Preacher: Mark Kingston
Did You Know You Were Made to Flourish?
For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about storms. The kind that hit from the outside. The kind that churn around inside your own head and heart. A lot of Lent can feel like training for survival. But this week we shifted slightly. Lent is not only about not being blown over. It is also about flourishing.
That word can sound a bit grand. But it simply comes from the same root as flower. Blooming. Opening out. Coming into colour and strength. Not frantic growth. Not forced positivity. Just life that feels alive. In the Bible, flourishing is simply what life looks like when it is deeply rooted in God. To help us, Jeremiah gives us two pictures. As you read them, notice which one feels closer to your reality right now.
Picture 1: The Bush in the Wasteland
First, there is a bush surviving in a scorched, salty land. The ground baked hard, and there is very little rain. Desert shrubs survive by spreading shallow roots. They grab whatever moisture is near the surface. They conserve energy. They adapt to scarcity. They stay small because they have to.
In other words, this is a picture of life-as-survival. And if we are honest, many of us know what this is like.
Here's how the image maps on to reality. You're rooted in the wastelands if you are trying to draw life-sustenance and meaning from dry soil. Dry soil might be the approval of others. Or your bank account and achievements. Or from being needed or looking successful. It works....for a while. But eventually, something feels brittle. You can be functioning and still feel dry inside. There's just not enough nourishment to make things grow and thrive. This is not about blame. The bush is not lazy. It is just planted in very dry ground.
So - if life feels like a daily slog... if you are managing but not really flowing...if you feel weary deep down, Jeremiah would suggest that you might be rooted in the wasteland. If that's you, what should you do? That's where Jeremiah's second picture brings hope.
Picture 2: The Tree by the Stream
He then speaks of a tree planted by fresh water. Its roots reach the stream. It does not fear when heat comes. Its leaves stay green. Even in a year of drought, it does not fail to bear fruit.
That's a very different picture to the wasteland bush. What makes the difference? The tree is not working harder than the bush. It is simply drawing life from a different source. It's all about the source. That means that heat still comes and drought still happens. The difference is what is happening underneath the surface. A tree by a stream does not panic when the weather turns. The source beneath it is steady.
Jesus and the Stream
If you want to see how to grow deep roots into the Stream of God's life, watch Jesus. Again and again, he pulled away to be with the Father. Mark tells us he went out early in the morning. Luke says he did this often. Before the crowds and the noise. He rooted himself in the Father’s love and direction. That was where his strength came from.
And then something even deeper happened. On the cross, Jesus cried out, “I thirst.” He entered our dryness. He stepped into the wasteland. And in His resurrection, a new spring opened up. So when we talk about being rooted in God, we are not talking about copying a spiritual habit. We are talking about receiving the life Jesus has made available.
Choosing Your Soil
So what does that mean for this week?
It means you do not have to stay in survival mode. You cannot manufacture a stream. But you can choose where you sit. You can choose to place yourself where your roots find the stream.
So here is a simple invitation: set aside 15 or 30 minutes a day just to be with God. Pick the place where you feel closest to Him. Go for a walk, or sit in your favourite chair. Make tea. You don't even have to say much - just be present.
You might pray something as simple as, "Father, here I am. Plant me by your stream. Sink my roots a little deeper." Notice if God nudges you to a particular Bible passage or a particular thing to do. Over time, as you get used to this practice, notice what starts to shift or change in you. It's totally fine if you don't feel anything dramatic. Remember, trees do not grow quickly! They grow quietly, underground, and it can be a while before "fruit" appears.
But the fruit that will come is worth the wait: The heat can come. Grief can come. Pressure can come, but instead of feeling parched and burned out, you still have “green leaves and fruit” in you - like joy and peace. This happens because the stream of being in God's presence runs deeper than the weather…
So, this Lent, let’s not just get through. Make space to root yourself in God’s presence.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Rooted or Dry?
Right now, which picture feels closer to your life: the bush in the wasteland or the tree by the stream? What have you been relying on to get through lately
Present?
When you try to be present with God, like Jesus was with the Father, what is that actually like for you? Easy? Awkward? Distracted? WhySeeing the Father
Jesus said, “I only do what I see my Father doing.” Have you had an experience of this happening? What happened?Learning from Jesus
When you look at how Jesus stepped away to pray and stayed close to the Father, what stands out to you? What feels honest and possible in your own lifeCost or Courage?
If you were to truly live this week from the stream rather than the wasteland, what might have to change? What might you need to let go of, risk, or rearrange?
