Remembering George W. Carver’s Passion

What an exciting time, dear gardeners, the shift of seasons! Summer balances on the brink of fall, while autumn’s brooding moves hearts in the synergies of all that happens next in flower, fruit, and foliage. In the coming weeks, we will be compelled to garden work, changing out zinnias for mums and cucumber vines for crucifer veggies, among many engagements in raking leaves. For such a time as this, I thought we would enjoy remembering George Washington Carver’s passion, the treasured grip of God’s Word held by this American hero of faith and science (1860-1943).

This Scripture was one of his favorites, a pledge from the Lord for revelation through the living plants, creatures, and landscapes of the earth:

Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? Job 12:8-10 NKJV

It is said Carver’s mornings began before dawn with a walk through the woods, devoted to God as his Teacher, listening for Him to impart wisdom and insight in the scenery of His creation.

The singing birds, the buzzing bees, the opening flower, and the budding trees, along with other forms of animate and inanimate matter, all have their marvelous creation story to tell each searcher for truth…
letter from George W. Carver to Hubert W. Pelt of Phelps Stokes Fund on “How to Search for Truth,” February 24, 1930*

He inquired of the Lord to unlock His mysteries and reveal the ways that Carver should work, yielding to God for direction in his study and research. He was a pure embodiment of trusting—

ADONAI will always guide you. Isaiah 58:11 CJB

—a precious witness of God’s answering.

‘Call out to me, and I will answer you — I will tell you great things, hidden things of which you are unaware.’” Jeremiah 33:3 CJB

And a multitude of peanut uses were just some of those great, hidden things! God’s Words were evident in the life of Carver as he brought so much of God’s knowledge to light.

He unveils mysteries long obscured in darkness and brings their meaning to light. Job 12:22 NCB

“At the end of his address [to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee] the Committee Chairman asked: “Dr. Carver, how did you learn all of these things?” Carver answered: “From an old book.” “What book?” asked the Chairman. Carver replied, “The Bible.” The chairman inquired, “Does the Bible tell about peanuts?” “No, Sir,” Dr. Carver replied, “But it tells about the God who made the peanut. I asked Him to show me what to do with the peanut, and He did.”
George Washington Carver, January 21, 1921, in an address before the House Ways and Means Committee**

Inspiring Garden Work

O Holy Spirit, likewise let Your understanding grip each of us as we welcome fall with working hours in the garden. Carver’s passion is at hand! May we watch for the Lord’s ways to become clear to us as our hands work the soil and process leaf litter. May God imprint our minds and hearts with His promises yet-to-sprout as we sow cool season seeds. May He impart divine solutions to the problems pressing us as our minds mull them over in mindless, methodical chores. Thank you, Lord, for a working rhythm in which to receive Your thoughts, inspiring our garden work.

branch tip on a graveled path in a Washington state forest

Let us be prone to ponder the hand of the Lord and all that He holds together for us. His hand, His revelation, His light in the darkness, His breath—let these themes whorl around us in Words and stir breakthrough in each of our lives.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and barren, and darkness covered the abyss while the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 NCB

God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. Genesis 1:3 NCB

Then Adonai Elohim formed the man out of the dust from the ground and He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life—so the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 TLV

I, ADONAI, called You in righteousness, I will take hold of Your hand, I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations Isaiah 42:6 TLV

I will give you treasures concealed in darkness and riches hidden away in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel who calls you by your name. Isaiah 45:3 NCB

The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. John 1:5 AMP

We get closer to God as we get more intimately and understandingly acquainted with the things he has created. I know of nothing more inspiring than that of making discoveries for ones self.
letter from George W. Carver to Hubert W. Pelt of Phelps Stokes Fund on “How to Search for Truth,” February 24, 1930*

Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap…Consider the lilies, how they grow: they do not toil or spin, but I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. But if God clothes the grass in the field in this way, although it is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he do so for you, you of little faith? Luke 12:24, 27-28 LEB

poem by Mary Caroyln Davies — *a poem capturing similar sentiments to Carver’s passion for meeting God in the woods*

For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. Colossians 1:16-17 The Message

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 NKJV

I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me. Acts 26:17-18 The Message

Our temporary light afflictions are preparing for us an incomparable weight of eternal glory 2 Corinthians 4:17 NCB

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into light. Job 12:22 TLV

God is going to reveal things to us that He never revealed before—if we put our hand in His. …Without God to draw aside the curtain I would be helpless.
George Washington Carver, speaking at Marble Collegiate Church, New York, 1924**

Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light Ephesians 5:8 NCB

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV

The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters. Romans 8:19 TPT

Closing Prayer

O Lord, thank you for the faith of our fathers, the signposts and sayings and successes they left behind for us to be encouraged to pursue You into deeper places—even their failures beckon us to find Your better way. Thank You, Father, that You always have more for us! More understanding, more insight, and more revelation of love in Your glorious light. Help me to remember that whatever metaphorical season I am in, You are on the move! Light and momentary troubles or seemingly dead ends balance on the brink of Your breakthrough, always. You will always guide me. I love You, Lord, and long for You to teach me. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Washington state forest in morning mist remembering Carver's passion to walk daily in the woods

If you want to learn, then go and ask the wild animals and the birds, the flowers and the fish. Any of them can tell you what the Lord has done. Job 12:7-9 CEV

Many thanks to Mark Batterson who has inspired me this week with including testimony of George W. Carver’s life, Day 8 of his marvelous prayer walk, Draw the Circle: The 40-Day Prayer Challenge (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), page 52.

*Quoted from Federer, William J. Federer, George Washington Carver: His life and Faith in His Own Words (St. Louis: Amerisearch, 2002), page 71. Accessed at https://archive.org/details/georgewashington0000fede/page/71/mode/1up on August 26, 2025

**from William Federer’s book, page 36, quoting Charles E. Jones, The Books You Read (Harrisburg, PA: Executive Books, 1985), page 132.

Leading poem by Mary Carolyn Davies expressing sentiments of Carver's passion

“Leading,” by Mary Carolyn Davies (1888-1974), published in Masterpieces of Religious Verse, Edited by James Dolton Morrison (New York: Harper & Row, 1948), page 22.

Read more testimony of George W. Carver’s passion in “A Fig Tree Story: Put Faith to Work,” in God’s Word for Gardeners Bible, the Garden Stories section on Jesus’ Horticultural Parables, near Luke 13:6 or click here for this Book Excerpt in the Devotions Blog

CJB notes Scripture quotations taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www.messianicjewish.net.

The Message denotes Scripture quotations taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.

TPT denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com