“Plant a Pot of Bible” is a series of devotions that go along with planting some of the herbs, spices, and edibles scattered across the pages of the Bible in our own garden pot.
By the end of the series, we hope for a deeper understanding of who God is and what He has done…along with a beautiful and tastily planted container for early spring’s patio or lingering winter’s windowsill.
The Lord Heals
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases…
Psalm 103:2,3 NIV
by his wounds we are healed
Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24 NIV
Healing is the moving-forward of forgiveness, embracing the promise that our hearts will be bound up; that is, stitched, sutured, sewn, sealed, strengthened. God provides closure, healing us “inside and out.”
Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out. Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.
James 5:15-16 The Message
O gardeners, we must remember the follow up question: After asking the Lord for forgiveness, a humble prayer says, “Lord, will you heal me?” In the mystery of his ways and timing, His answer is certainly, “Yes!”
I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord
Jeremiah 30:17 NIV
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 14:14 NIV
LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
Psalm 30:2 NIV
Planting Chamomile
After listing the Lord’s benefits, Psalm 103 goes on to mention the “flower of the fields,” a phrase found in several places in Scripture describing the fleeting nature of a person’s life in comparison to the everlasting essence of God’s love and enduring Word.
The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him
Psalm 103: 15,16 NIV
While the original Hebrew term does not name a specific flower, many scholars agree that one of these flowers would be chamomile; several Anthemis species cover the Holy Land countryside. I have grown to cherish the association of chamomile to Psalm 103 and the promise of healing, an easy reminder when matched with this herb’s healing properties. Dried chamomile flowers are commonly enjoyed in a cup of tea, a soothing drink before bed to heal the day’s worries and sleep soundly.
Plant a Pot of Bible
Plant chamomile at the “6 o’clock” position of our pot. Chamomile grows well from seed, or transplant a 4” plug as shown here. The spreading habit of its sunny flowers and dainty foliage will grow over the weeks ahead and “spill” over the front. Chamomile’s feathery leaves echo the wispiness of nigella’s and cumin’s, pulling together the look from front to back. These three should begin blooming around the same time, late spring to early summer.
The sunny faces of chamomile’s daisy-like blossoms, with bright yellow centers, seem to beam the glory of God’s healing:
But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.
Malachi 4:2 NIV
Chamomile is mentioned briefly in the “Lay of the Land” landscape description for Egypt near Genesis 47 in God’s Word for Gardeners Bible. Read more on healing in devotional essays on Weather from the Garden Stories section, pages a-42 & a-43.
Find more growing and garden-to-table information in our Plant Guide:
Chamomile – gardenndelight.wpengine.com/plant-guide/chamomile/
Sources:
I found Roman chamomile seedlings, Anthemis nobilis or Chamaemelum nobile, at my local garden center which features a large selection of herbs. Roman (or English) chamomile is a perennial to Zone 4.
German Chamomile, Matricaria recutita, has nearly identical flowers, yet the plants have a more upright habit and reach a full height of 24 to 30 inches, more plant than I wanted for the front of the pot. German chamomile is an annual though reseeds readily.
For a living Easter basket, use chamomile plugs as “grass,” giving even more dimension to the words of Psalm 103:15 & Isaiah 40:8 that compare people to grass and the flowers of the field….not to mention an enchanting scent!!
Photo Credits:
Chamomile flowers: ©2011 Andrey Zharkikh Flickr Creative Commons Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) from Red Butte Garden, Salt Lake City, Utah
All other photos: ©2016 Shelley S. Cramm
