"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Col. 1:13).

     Though it is true that the Master Gardener has grafted us into His rootstock (Rom. 11:17), it is also true that He has translated (or we could say transplanted) us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.  We were planted in  the world's garden; the garden that is ruled under God by Satan (Lk. 4:5-8), and we didn't have any power to get out of it until the Master Gardener came and pulled us up and transplanted us into His garden (Jn. 8:34-36, 15:5, Phil. 2:13).

     Transplanting is very stressful for plants.  The leaves droop and yellow, and the plants wilt; some may even die.  This is because some are improperly handled or placed in incorrect conditions.  

     This can never happen to us if the Lord is our Master Gardener.  He never makes any mistakes.  His garden will always grow well because He will make it grow well by His almighty power (Psa. 110:3).  We would have burned up with the other thorns and thistles if the Lord hadn't had mercy on us (Isa. 33:12).

     It is a slow process though for most of us to become what we should be, and want to be.  We have to keep asking our Gardener to do for us what we are unable to do for ourselves.  In our "old garden" we could do as we pleased and it was very easy, but we became more blackened, more dirty as time went on (Isa. 64:6).

     When our Gardener was pleased to shine His sun on us, we began to see, and we saw what we were, and wanted to move into His garden, so we began to call out to Him to do for us what we could never do for ourselves - give life to ourselves, or keep ourselves alive by our own will.  If we could, no one would ever die!! (Isa. 6:1-7).  

     This is why as His plants, in His garden, we have to keep asking as the Psalmist did in Psalm 119.  He said, "Open my eyes (18),  revive me (25), make me (27), strengthen me (28), remove from me (29), teach me (33), give me (34), help me (86), uphold me (116), look upon me (132), direct my steps (133), redeem me (134), hear my voice (149),  plead my cause (154).  It is not our letting Him, but He letting us, come to His throne of grace.  "Let my soul live, and it shall praise Thee; and let Thy judgments help me" (Psa. 119:175). 

     Oh, how we need to learn how to pray, and speak, as His plants in a manner that honors His holy name.  Oh Lord, teach us to pray so that we will not be wilting all the time, and turning yellow.  Water us!  Shine on us!  And make us live in Your sight and to Your glory (Jer. 31:12).