Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. — Psalm 80:8 & 9
Growing up, I remember that my dad always enjoyed having a garden. I remember him working to get the ground ready to plant seeds. I remember planting the seeds and then I remember watching the various plants grow.
As he would go to plant the seeds, I remember that he would create rows. It was a specific place that he wanted to have the seeds so that they would grow. Those areas would be properly prepared, ready to receive the seed. He would nurture those areas, making sure the ground around them allowed for proper air, water, and other nutrients to get to the seeds and plants. He made sure to keep the weeds out and make sure nothing would harm the plants that should not be present.
In some other instances, he might even use a stake or something else to help stabilize the plant. The wind and rain could cause the plant to become unstable and it may need special help in order to be stable, grow in a specific direction, or to a specific height. In all the circumstances, he had a specific purpose and plan in place for those various plants.
In these verses in Psalm 80, the psalmist is talking about how God had planted His children as a vine. He had brought them out of Egypt, removed all the heathen, and planted it in a specific place. It was a prepared place, which caused the vine to take deep root and fill the land. It was a masterful job that could have only been orchestrated by God.
Just as He planted the children of God, so has God too planted us in a specific place. As Christians, He brought us up and out of the bondage of sin, setting us in a place of service that He had prepared so we could take root and grow. He wants us to grow, but sometimes that may take some extra work.
For us to grow, it means that we must be focused on learning more about God and living our lives for Him in all situations. If we allow the things of the world to sneak in, we cannot take “root” as God would like us to. That can lead to some challenging circumstances in life.
Perhaps it is that God works the ground around us to make it more fertile so we can grow. Perhaps He has to stake us closer to Him so we do not stray from the path that He has set for us.
God’s clear goal for us is that we grow in the place that He has planted us so that we can share Christ with all those around us. Are we growing where God has planted us, or are we needing work to get us in a position where we can grow?