Bloom where you're planted

“I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily.” Hosea 14:5

The idiom bloom where you're planted means to make the best of every circumstance you find yourself in. It’s all about our attitude and outlook on life.

When we were first married, we lived in a very quaint small town in South Carolina. One of my friends there was having a hard time adjusting to the area. She was a recent transplant with a new baby and only renting their home. She wanted to “fix” it up but didn’t want to throw money away either. I encouraged her she needed to “bloom where she was planted” and do little things to make that house her home. When we feel good about ourselves others want to be around us.

God wants us to flourish so we can continue to grow stronger in our faith. In Jeremiah

17:7-8, God reminds us that when we keep our confidence in the Lord, we will be like a tree that is planted by the water's edge, the leaves will always be green because there is a constant source of nourishment for its roots.

Isn’t that a beautiful analogy of how we’re to live our life? When we stay rooted in Him, we will never wither and we’re able to bear fruit. The surrounding conditions don’t affect us because our hope comes from the Lord, not from outside influences. As our faith flourishes, God enables us to show others His goodness through us.

Whether we have been planted in the same place for years or we’re a recent transplant to a new area, God wants us to “bloom” where we are and praise Him for what He has blessed us with. He loves us and wants us to stay rooted in the living water.