The seasons of life are many. Unlike the four seasons of the year, which we can count on like clockwork, the seasons of life are not so consistent. They come and go quickly, sometimes without warning, and leave us wondering why. Why this season of life? Why now? And why to me?
So as I bound into adulthood and this season of life a little less than gracefully, how do I bloom where God plants me? How do I bloom with grace in this season of life instead of hide away until it passes?
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What is the meaning of bloom?
When I hear the word “Bloom,” I immediately think of flowers and springtime. I dream images of colorful flowers lining the sidewalks, fields of bright green grass, blue skies, and the sun shining through the puffy white clouds.
But can there be bloom without springtime? Can there be bloom in times of chaos instead of peace?
Yes! The true definition of bloom has nothing to do with springtime. It’s not about blue skies, sunny days, and sun-lit pastures of green. The meaning of bloom lies in maturity. It’s the pinnacle of growth, when a flower or other fauna has grown and matured.
That makes blooming where you are planted a perfect topic for those of us in the adulting struggle!
To bloom is to flourish.
What does it mean to be planted?
In the same way that seeds are planted, we are planted, too. Sometimes we are planted in a meticulous, organized way. We pick the seemingly “perfect” spot to plant ourselves, thinking it’s safe here to bloom and blossom. But we don’t always have a choice in where we are planted.
Our current season of life may be something we chose—moving to a new city, starting a new job, or not dating. At the same time, our current season of life may be something we didn’t choose—moving to a new city, starting a new job, or not dating.
Accepting where You’re being Planted
Whatever the case, we’ve been planted. We’ve been planted physically wherever we live, spiritually in the spiritual warfare around us, and relationally with the people we interact with.
God is the one who plants us, and while I’ll be the first to admit that I doubt God’s timing, I have to remind myself that I can’t see the end game like He can. He is far more knowledgeable and wise than I am. So trusting Him means surrendering my will to His.
“I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.”
Jeremiah 32:40-41 (ESV) (emphasis added)
What does bloom where you’re planted mean?
At the surface level, “Bloom where you are planted” seems like a modern way to say an old proverb. Making the best of a bad. Taking the cards life deals you and using them to make something great.
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
Well, let’s take things a step further to the biblical meaning of “bloom where you are planted.”
Biblical Meaning of Bloom & Blossom
One scripture that is straightforward about the biblical meaning of bloom is in Proverbs.
“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.”
Proverbs 11:28 (ESV)
In other words, blossoming has nothing to do with riches. It doesn’t equate being well-off or wealthy. It doesn’t mean success, achievement, stunning looks, or any other factor but this—righteousness.
Additionally in the prophetic books, God talks about His judgement and His plan to restore Israel the flourishing nation they once were.
“I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.”
Hosea 14:4-7
When God talks about his plan of restoration, the focus on the heart. The biblical meaning of bloom is about our hearts and a reconciled relationship between us and God. These bible verses about blossoming show us that God desires to heal us, to forgive our sins when we repent, and to love us. And because of Jesus, that is possible.
We are given new hearts and are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
Bible Verses About Blooming
Besides the Bible verses from Proverbs and Hosea, there are many other bible verses about blooming.
- At the end of Habakkuk, the prophet commits to rejoice even as God delivers judgement.
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.” Habakkuk 3:17-19
- In Isaiah, we see the end result of allowing God to transform us.
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.” Isaiah 35:1-2
- Psalm 72 includes several Bible verses about people blooming.
“In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!”
Psalm 72:7
“May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field! May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!” Psalm 72:16-17
- Isaiah foretells how Jacob will bloom and bless the whole world through Jesus Christ. I’d recommend reading all of chapter 27 for more Bible verses about blooming.
“In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.” Isaiah 27:6
- In Ezekiel, God also talks about how He has the power to make us bloom.
“’And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.’” Ezekiel 17:24
How to Bloom where God Plants You
We know that the righteous shall bloom, but how do you actually bloom wherever God plants you and with grace?
When I asked God that question, He brought two people in the Bible to my mind, two people who bloomed even though they were in thorns: Joseph, Jacob’s son, and Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law. From their stories, here are three lessons on how to bloom where God plants you.
1. Be Planted where God Plants You
In Joseph’s story, he’s betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery to Egypt. He works hard in Potiphar’s household and eventually becomes in charge of everything Potiphar owns. Then Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him and when Joseph resists, she claims that he violated her, so Joseph is thrown in prison.
Yet in the Genesis chapters where all of this unfolds (Genesis 37-50), there is no mention of Joseph running away or cursing God because of his fate. Joseph spends the rest of his life in Egypt, as a foreigner, and a lot of that time is spent as a slave, a servant, or a prisoner.
Joseph stays where God plants him. He continues to work hard in the position where God places him, and never does he forsake God or his faith.
Do I stay where God plants me?
I’m convicted thinking about how I complain to God about where I am in life. Because this season of life can be hard, I resist where God has planted me.
However, I’m thankful for God’s patience and want to adopt Joseph’s attitude—believing that God planted me where He planted me for a reason even if there is no bloom right now.
When I don’t understand how God is working, I need faith to believe He is working.
2. Grow where you are planted
The second step in how to bloom where God plants you is to grow where you are planted. Despite how alluring the stories of overnight success, wealth, and happiness are, that’s just not reality. A seed doesn’t become a flower overnight. It takes time, water, sun, and nutrients before any blossoming occurs.
Similarly, Joseph doesn’t let his circumstances dictate his faithfulness, work ethic, or growth. As Potiphar’s servant, Joseph starts at the bottom of the “servanthood ladder.” Yet because God blesses everything that Joseph does, Potiphar gives Joseph more and more responsibility until Joseph is running everything in the household.
When Joseph is thrown in prison, he finds a similar favor in the eyes of the guardian. At the time that he leaves prison, he is in charge of the jail and the prisoners.
We have to be willing to grow and equip ourselves with God’s truth and God’s word so that we can continue to grow.
We reach higher levels of spiritual maturity when our faith is tested and forced to grow where we are planted.
3. Bloom where you are planted
The last step of how to bloom where God plants you is that—bloom!
When we allow ourselves to be planted where God wants us and tough circumstances to strengthen and grow our faith, then blooming becomes a natural part of the process.
In the story of Joseph, his spiritual growth and physical trials lead him to becoming the Egyptian Pharaoh’s second in command. In that position, Joseph extends mercy and grace to his brothers and saves the nation of Israel from being wiped out before it even begins.
Around him, the world is in a worldwide famine, but look at how Joseph blooms! God blesses Joseph in those circumstances and gives him the ability to bless others, including his brothers, through his position in Pharaoh’s court.
Ruth’s Example: Bloom where You’re Planted
However, blooming doesn’t always mean power and wealth, though in the story of Joseph that is how it appears. The story of Ruth is a beautiful example of a girl blooming without riches.
Ruth is the daughter-in-law of a Jewish woman, Naomi. When Ruth and Naomi’s husbands die, Naomi pushes Ruth to return to her family in Moab. Instead, Ruth insists that she won’t leave Naomi side. Ruth’s dedication and care for her mother-in-law persists when they return to Israel and Ruth gleans grain for herself and Naomi.
Here, Ruth is a stranger to the Israelites and God’s people. Yet, she cares for her mother-in-law with such love and dedication that she is invited into the family of God.
“But Boaz answered her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!’”
Ruth 2:11-12
What does it mean when a girl is blooming?
While Ruth’s story is a huge contrast to Joseph’s definition of blooming, her story is even more powerful for me. Like Joseph, Ruth is blooming under hard circumstances while living in a foreign land. However, she blooms because of her love for her mother-in-law and her faith in God. And because of her faith, she is in Jesus’s bloodline as David’s great-grandmother.
I can’t imagine the faith that Ruth had to have and the selfless love she expressed to Naomi. Others may overlook her, but I’m inspired by her story of love for others and for God, which allowed her to bloom under difficult circumstances.
May we all be girls who are blooming like Ruth!
Bloom with Grace Meaning
Joseph and Ruth are just two examples in the Bible of people who bloomed despite tough circumstances. I’m inspired by their faith, and encouraged by the fact that God was with them through every moment. He blessed them so that they flourished, and while that didn’t always look like riches and nice clothes and praise and accolades, it was blooming.
But remember, no one blooms overnight. It’s a process, and one that we’ll get through together as we navigate the adulting struggle. Give yourself grace! Due to our sinful nature, none of us are deserving to bloom and flourish under God’s blessings.
Only with Jesus’s sacrifice and God’s grace are we able to bloom at all.
Blooming with grace also means being gracious, patient, and kind to those around us. When Joseph flourished, he shared what he had with his brothers instead of harboring bitterness toward them. In the same way, we can bloom with grace by showing God’s love to others and viewing God’s blessings as a way to bless others.
Related: 30+ Bible Verses about God’s Love
Swag Alert – Bloom with Grace!
Here are a couple of items to help you remember to bloom where you are planted.
- Dayspring mug–Bloom with Grace. This super cute mug is just $10 and has cactuses on it to help you remember to grow where you are planted!
- Erin Condren: Decorative Bloom Covers. Here is a cover that you can put on top of a notebook or planner to remind you to bloom where you’re planted!
Wherever God Plants You Bloom with Grace
When you hear the phrase “bloom where you are planted,” I hope you take it to heart and recognize that God has planted you where you are for a reason. We may not like the season of life we are in, but God doesn’t give us a guarantee that the Christian life will be easy.
He does, however, promise us that He will be with us in every season.
He will strengthen your faith, and as your faith grows, you’ll be able to bloom where God plants you and bloom with grace.
How will you bloom this season?
Leave me a comment below!
Check out More Posts about Growing in Faith:
- Is God’s Will Sovereign ?
- 5 Keys to Accepting God’s Love
- 42 Bible Verses about being a God-fearing Woman
- Lessons & Stories to Unlock the Power of Prayer
- 5 Strategies for How to Remove Fear from Mind and Heart
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Absolutely wonderful post! All day God has been speaking to me saying “Bloom with grace” Right now, I’m in a similar position as Ruth, taking care of my grandmother and sometimes it very hard. But by his grace God helps me to help her. By his grace I’m shaped and molded into the God fearing woman he wants me to be during these difficult times. Bloom with grace 🌸 Thank you Jesus so much ! And thank you for this lovely post dear
Hi Shaun, and thank you for your comment. I understand that taking care of family can be hard at times, so I’m glad that this post was about to encouraged you where you are right now. Ruth’s story is also one of my favorites; I love seeing how she “bloomed” when she was so far out of her comfort zone and how God blessed her for her faith. May God also help you to bloom with grace. 🙂
Love this!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I hope it continues to encourage you.
It’s awesome and wonderful to always be reminded of our earthly duties as children of the most high God, blossoming with grace even in difficult times is one of such duties
Thanks so much
Well said, Oneke! I hope you’re blooming in God’s grace wherever you are.
My word for next year is Bloom. I found this article while searching for verses of the word bloom. I love this and will keep it to read often. Thank you!
Hi Chelcie, I’m so glad this was helpful for you. Also, I love that your word of the year is Bloom! Hopefully some of these verses can help anchor you throughout the year. Best wishes!
This is such a beautiful post , I was looking for something on blooming where you are planted and this just beautifully written
Thanks, Jenn! I hope it encourages you in your faith and whatever season of life you may be in. 🙂
Wow, am encouraged by this post, I heard the LORD speak the word Bloom field and I needed to read into the spoken word – here I found more than I expected … GOD bless you Kara
Dear Akintomiwa,
We are so glad to hear that you were encouraged reading this post! Thanks for leaving a comment!
~Trish, from KJL Co.