For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9, NIV

Back in 2019 one of my best friends turned 35. To celebrate I and a few other friends got tickets to visit Iceland. We spent a whole week in Iceland exploring all over the island. One thing we got to do was eat at a restaurant that was housed inside a greenhouse. Believe it or not, Iceland is known for its vegetable production! This particular greenhouse specializes in tomatoes. They had all kinds of tomatoes, from small green to huge juicy red ones. When I tell you I’ve never had better tomato soup I am not lying (sorry Mom)! The small area that we explored was filled with, chairs for the pickers, and amazingly intricate scaffolding and strange boxes near the ceiling. As we explored we noticed a small buzz. We soon realized it was bees! Bees in Iceland? The workers explained that in order for the plants to grow they needed to be pollinated and that the bees are by far the most effective way to do this. God has the perfect environment filled with the right conditions for growth! But He wants to use the workers He has placed in this world to help in the work. 

In the book of Samuel, we read a story of a young man growing up in God’s Temple AKA his Greenhouse. 1 Samuel 2:21 says “And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.” Samuel was growing up in the presence of the Lord and he was also growing up alongside two other boys, the sons of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas. Growing up in the temple they were given every opportunity to grow and become godly men. But the Bible tells us something was different about these two. Interwoven throughout Samuel’s growth we hear of the terrible things these two did. What was the difference? The worker bees.

Samuel, Hophni, and Phinehas all grew up in the temple they had the same environment but they were not all taken care of in the same way. Every year Hannah visited the temple, every year she prepared Samuel a new garment and she would offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Hannah honored God because of what He did and Samuel continued to grow. Hophni and Phinehas lived with their father Eli but God rebuked Eli, saying “Why do you honor your sons more than me…” Even though Eli was there with them his two sons did not grow up to honor God. 

Samuel grew not only because he was in the Temple but because Hannah honored God and diligently worked to make sure that Samuel knew who was responsible for all the blessings. Eli failed by honoring his sons instead of God and never pointing them in the right direction. Today we are given the awesome opportunity to be worker bees in God's beautiful greenhouse. It’s no wonder God set Deborah over Israel as a judge! Her name means “Bee” and she was a caretaker of God’s people.

How is God calling you today? Who is God calling you to? God’s Greenhouse is filled with life, He has asked us to work with Him. “For we are co-workers in God’s service” 1 Corinthians 3:9a. Let us be workers in our Father’s greenhouse.