Tend

The song "Tend" by Bethel Music is a beautiful and poignant reminder of God's gentle, patient, and transformative work in our lives. It paints a vivid picture of God as a gardener, tending to the soil of our hearts and souls, pruning away what is dead or overgrown, and nurturing what He has planted within us to reach for the light.

This imagery is reminiscent of John 15:1-2, where Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." Just as a gardener prunes a vine to ensure its health and productivity, God prunes us, removing what is harmful or unnecessary in our lives, and nurturing what is good and fruitful.

The song also echoes the sentiment of Jeremiah 4:3, "Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns." Fallow ground is unused, hardened soil that needs to be broken up and prepared before it can be fruitful. Similarly, our hearts can become hardened or overgrown with the thorns of sin, bitterness, or fear. God, the gardener of our hearts, wants to break up that fallow ground, to remove the thorns and prepare our hearts to receive His word and His love.

The lyrics of "Tend" also resonate with the promise found in Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Even in the winter seasons of our lives, when everything seems dead and barren, God is still at work. What He has planted in us is "ever reaching to the light," sustained by His faithful care and provision.

The song concludes with a declaration of trust and surrender: "I'll remain in You, You'll remain in me... 'Cause You know better." This echoes Jesus' words in John 15:4, "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

So, as we reflect on the lyrics of "Tend" and these corresponding Bible verses, let's ask ourselves: Are we allowing God to be the gardener of our hearts? Are we surrendering to His pruning, trusting His timing, and remaining in Him? Are we letting go of what needs to fall away so that what He wants can stay and what He loves can grow? Let's invite God to tend the soil of our souls, to break up the fallow ground, and to cultivate in us a harvest of righteousness and peace.