Faith Like a Climbing Cucumber: Lessons from the Garden

Growing Upward When Life Keeps You Low

Jun 07, 2025

Welcome friend,

I’m Mark, and this space is for the wanderers, the worn out, and the ones still wrestling with God at 2 a.m. I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does—and I’m learning to trust Him more.

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But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. — Jeremiah 17:7-8

I’ve always found the garden to be one of God's most honest classrooms. Every row, root and weed tells a story. And nothing has reminded me more of faith than watching cucumbers climb. I know that sounds silly, but yes, cucumbers.

They start off as low—little green sprouts pushing through the soil with fragile determination. But give them time, a sturdy trellis, and enough sunlight, and they will climb like they were born for the sky.

And so do we, if we're rooted in Christ.

The Trellis of Faith

Cucumbers can't climb without support. Left to sprawl on the ground, they get tangled, rotted, and stomped by squirrels or toddlers (don’t ask). But once you offer them something firm—a fence, a pole, a trellis—they grab on with their curly little tendrils and go. They twist upward, stretch forward, and reach for more.

🥒 Cucumbers from our garden! 👇

Our faith is the same way. Without something to cling to—without God’s Word, without community, without Jesus—we stay low, lost in the dirt. But give us truth? Give us something solid?

We start climbing.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

Like cucumber tendrils reaching for a trellis, our hearts are designed to cling to something. The question is: what are we gripping?

When the Leaves Turn Yellow: Tending to a Struggling Faith

This Morning, I walked out to my garden and observed our vegetation. (See our little Heavenly sanctuary) 👇 🪴 🍅 🌺

To my dismay, the cucumbers leaves were turning yellow. Some were wilted. Others had spots. These weren’t the vibrant, healthy vines I had hoped for. Something was off.

So I did what any good gardener would do. I didn’t ignore it or pretend it would fix itself. I got to work.

I checked the soil. I added compost and fertilizer. I watered them more carefully. I trimmed the sick leaves to give the rest of the plant a better chance.

Friend, our faith can turn yellow too.

We go through dry seasons. Our prayer life gets patchy. The Bible feels like a chore. Maybe bitterness creeps in. Or we start clinging to things that can’t hold us. That fresh, green hunger we once had? It fades.

And when that happens, we have two choices: ignore it and hope it goes away—or tend to it.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” – 2 Corinthians 13:5

Faith needs care and nourishment. It needs time in the presence of God—just like cucumbers need sun and rain. You wouldn’t leave a yellowing plant to fend for itself. Why do we do that with our walk with Christ?

Here’s the truth: even when the fruit isn't showing, even when the leaves are struggling, God’s not done with you. He doesn’t toss you out when you're wilted. He leans in closer.

He’s the faithful Gardener, and He knows just how to tend your soul.

“He restores my soul.” – Psalm 23:3

So if you’re feeling spiritually dry or discouraged today, don’t give up. Just come to the Father.

Ask Him to show you what needs tending. Maybe it’s repentance or just being still and letting Him do the work in you. Let the Gardener restore your green.

Weathering the Storms

Cucumbers are also fragile. One harsh wind and they can be snapped right off. But the ones that survive? They’ve anchored themselves well. Their tendrils don’t just touch the trellis—they wrap around it, pull tight, and hold on even when the storm hits.

That’s the kind of faith Jesus talked about when He said:

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock... the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall.” – Matthew 7:24-25

We weren’t promised calm skies. We were promised Jesus in the storm.

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Sometimes cucumber vines get tangled. They grow into the wrong space, climb the tomato cages, or strangle each other. You have to step in as the gardener, gently separate them, and point them in the right direction.

Our faith gets messy too. We grow the wrong way, chase the wrong things, and sometimes we even choke out others. But praise God—we have a Gardener.

“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.” – John 15:1-2

Faith doesn’t always look pretty. Sometimes it’s tangled and hard. Sometimes it means surrendering to God's pruning shears. But it’s always worth it.

Fruit Takes Time

Here’s something most new gardeners learn the hard way: cucumbers don’t appear overnight. You water, you wait. You fertilize, you wait. You fight bugs, and still—you wait.

And then, finally, you spot it. A little green spike hiding under the leaves.

Faith is no different. It grows slow. Quiet. Hidden. You might not see the fruit right away, but that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9

Don’t give up on your walk. Don’t give up on your prayers. Don’t give up on the lost person you’ve been witnessing to for years. Faithful growth is slow growth—but God never wastes a season.

What Are You Clinging To?

Cucumbers don’t have eyes. They can’t see the trellis. But they still reach for it.

And maybe that’s what faith is all about—reaching for a God we can’t always see, but who’s always there. Faith isn't about being strong. It’s about clinging to the One who is.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1

So friend, when the winds come—and they will come—don’t let go. When the days are slow and fruitless, when you're tangled in life’s mess, when the pruning hurts, and the soil feels dry—reach anyway.

Because just like cucumbers need a trellis, we need Jesus.

🌿 Reflective Questions for the Climb of Faith

What am I clinging to right now—comfort, control, or Christ?
Have I been trying to grow without staying rooted in God's Word?
What support system (trellis) has God given me that I’ve been neglecting—church, fellowship, prayer?
Am I growing upward toward God, or am I sprawled out in distractions and sin?
When was the last time I truly asked the Holy Spirit to prune me?
Do I tend to my faith as carefully as I would tend to a sick plant? Why or why not?
Have I been ignoring the yellowing signs in my spiritual life? What are they?
What area of my life feels fruitless—and what might God be doing in that soil?
Have I grown bitter during a slow season instead of trusting the process?
What step can I take today to water and fertilize my faith—spiritually speaking?

Conclusion

Whether you’re a seasoned believer or just planting your first seeds of faith, remember: God is faithful. He is the Master Gardener, and He knows exactly how to tend your soul. You may feel low right now, but with Him, you’re made to climb.

Call to Repentance:
If you’ve been trying to earn your way into heaven, it’s time to stop striving and start surrendering. Today can be the day everything changes. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Don’t wait for a better moment. Turn from your sin, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and receive the gift of eternal life. He is calling—respond to Him today.