Weeds

(johnson.k-state.edu)

Ponder with me if you will… since that’s the whole point of these blog posts. Just as Jesus told parables to illustrate a point He really wanted His disciples to grasp and comprehend, I see all around me points that illustrate Who He is and what His kingdom is all about! He uses what we CAN see, to reveal to us the greater thing that are yet UNseen. 

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” – Matthew 13:24-25 

Pastor Mark Cowart (Church For All Nations, Colorado Springs, Colorado) referenced this scripture Sunday morning. He’s teaching a series on the dangerous lies we believe. Our lives are shaped by the things we take to heart and believe. That easily makes sense. But do we stop to think about just how easy it is for us to be presented with ideas that don’t come from God? How easy is it for the enemy of our souls to drop little tidbits along the path of our lives, that we scoop up like candy and cling to, not bothering to ask God if they’re from Him or not? 

While we’re sleeping or occupied with other things, our enemy plants weeds and thorns in the harvest of our lives. When we’re busy, or not paying close attention or things other than the Word of God demand our attention, it’s easy for those weeds to thrive. They may even look like the very crops we thought we were growing! The ‘tares’ that were planted in the parable Jesus shared were weeds that look like wheat. They weren’t discovered until they started to grow and were noticed by those working the garden.

(housemanservices.com)

When we’re too busy to spend time with God and in His Word (sometimes, we’re even too busy doing things for the kingdom of God), we get distracted from the truths He’s trying to share with us. Weeds grow up in the garden of our lives, and we may not even notice until it’s harvest time. By then, they’ve got a place in our lives, and it may not be easy to pull them out without tearing out the good things we’ve stored up along the way, too. By the time we notice a weed, and by weed, I mean a lie or falsehood that we’ve built our beliefs and our lives around, it can be devastating to examine ourselves and see that we’re not living the lives that God intended for us to live. And remember, some weeds can be beautiful.

(thegrassmaster.com)

God can redeem the days we’ve lost to lies and false beliefs, but we need to turn to Him now – while there’s still time and turn away from the things that were not from Him and turn TO all that He has planned for us. That’s the meaning of repentance. Even when everyone around us thinks we look good on the outside, or that we have it all together, God knows our heart. He knows our every weakness and loves us still. 

God isn’t out to punish us for the wrong we’ve done, He wants to redeem us from the life that’s permitted us to do those wrong things in the first place. He’s not waiting for us to mess up, He’s watching and waiting like the father of the prodigal son – for the moment we appear on the horizon with our hearts in tow to surrender to Him. 

1 John 3:20 reveals to us that, “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” Don’t walk around in condemnation. Romans 8:1 tells us that, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…”

Simply, ask God what He’s trying to share with you today. Get into His Word and find His answer!

Tares in the Heart

“Your words water things,” our pastor said Sunday morning.

Immediately, I grabbed my little notebook and began to scribble. We plant so many seeds in the garden of our lives. But, others plant seeds there, as well.

Ultimately, it’s our garden. We get to determine what grows there, we choose what to tend to; what to water.

To which seeds, seedlings or towering trees are we giving our attention and energies?

In the Bible we read, “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while the men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.: - Matthew 13:24-26 (KJV)

This scripture came to mind, simply to enforce the point that other people, whether we know them and trust them, or not, plant seeds – good or bad, in our garden.

In this parable, it was the man’s enemy planting tares (a noxious weed) in with his wheat to mess with the man’s harvest.

Whether the person sowing weeds in our garden is an enemy, or a well-meaning friend, a parent, a boss or coworker, a pastor or a neighbor you meet in passing along the road – and whether they plant the weeds knowingly or not, weeds will spring up in our garden.

Seeds, weeds or good plants, are otherwise known as words and idea.

Which plants are getting our attention?

The weeds are symbolic of anything that would distract us from what God wants to do in our lives. He gave us life, when we’re born again, we give Him back our lives, to do with as He pleases. Because, what He pleases is, ultimately, what’s best for us; it’s where we’ll prosper and grow to be more and more like Him. It’s where we’ll feel content and joyful; even happiest.

The weeds are symbolic of the problems that come up in our lives; problems set to distract us from living.

Those distractions can be different for all of us, but there are many we face in common. Though I’ve yet to meet a father who’s been distracted by it, I know moms who suffer intensely because of the empty nest syndrome; sometimes to the point of despair. It can derail us and send us in search of a new identity.

Demands for super-performance at a job, or at school, or sicknesses, or losses – can all distract us from even knowing who we are, let alone what we’re supposed to be doing.

We’ve all heard a phrase that says something like, “Don’t tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your God is in the midst of them!”

Are we focusing on, (watering), giving our attention to – our problems, or to our God?

How do we refocus our attention?

Oh yeah; get our heads and hearts into God’s Word. What’s up with that? Do I think all of our answers are in there? You bet I do! I believe it with my whole heart.

Trust in the LORD with all of thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understand. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

(Picture from Victory 91.5)

Garden Soil - Holy Ground

“There is grace for every garden you’re in…” 

– Pastor Pat Willard

When I think about gardening, I think of the only good gardens I’ve been a part of. I love living in Colorado, but the effort to grow plants in my yard is too great. I might as well toss my money in the trash if I’m pouring it into my yard. But, as a girl growing up on a farm in northeastern Ohio, I shared in the efforts it took to plant, tend and harvest our bountiful gardens. It’s a whole lot easier to grow a garden with good soil! It will always entail hard work, but it’s a labor of love when you get the results you want and can enjoy the fruits of your labors.

In the Word of God there are plenty of references to gardening. One parable, often referred to as the parable of the sower, might more accurately be called the parable of the soils, as our pastor has pointed out. Good seeds are planted each time; the difference in the harvest is because of the soil:

“And [Jesus] spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” – Matthew 13:3-9 (KJV)

God’s Word is that good seed. Some seeds are too old to sprout, but God’s Word is eternal, it never returns void. It’s never a faulty seed planted into the soil of our hearts, if it’s the seed of the Word of God. Yet, three soil conditions are mentioned in the parable that present problems for the garden. [Note: I don’t see them as problems for the Gardener.]

Unlike the sandy soil here in my Colorado backyard, I have choices to make every day. I choose to receive the Word of God with joy, I choose to cultivate the Word of God in my life. I can also choose to allow the seed that’s been planted in my heart to become overwhelmed with the daily concerns of my life; the worries that creep in, like thorny weeds that can overcome a garden, crowding out the crops I planted. I can allow them to steal my attention from my Creator, seeing them as bigger or more influential in my life than my Savior. Do we “tell God how big our problems are, or do we tell our problems how big a God we serve”?

Daily, I choose whether or not to forgive those who bring offenses into my life; those who wound me deeply or simply cut me off in traffic. Left unattended, unforgiveness shows up like rocks in the fine soil of my heart. Once I let bitterness creep into my life, I become hardened, like clay baked in the summer sun. Sometimes when those offenses show up, God can use forgiveness I choose to give as a hoe or a rotor-tiller to break up the hardening that had been taking place.

The condition of the garden of my heart is very dependent on me; yes, it will take time and effort. Often, that time and those efforts are spent on those we love – investments that can come back to bless us many-fold, or seem to leave us abandoned and lonely. But, God sees it all, whether we see the harvest on this side of glory or not. No tending.

YET…I look around and see seeds produce where, realistically, they shouldn’t. Here in Colorado I repeatedly see trees growing from crevices between rocks in the mountains. It makes me ponder. Was it a stubborn seed? No one comes to water it or to take care of any weeds that try to force it out. With no room for even pebbles, this isn’t rocky soil, it’s shallow dirt, blown and settled between huge pieces of rock! How does this tree grow? Where does it take root and how does it glean it’s nourishment? (You know if I planted that seed there, it wouldn’t grow at all!) My parallel point to ponder goes to the one, the unlikely soul we see cursing God on daily basis. Yes, the Word of God can grow there, too.

Gardening

 

Some of us love the feel of moist, rich soil crumbling in our hands, pulling at it with our fingers, knowing what can grow there. Even the smell of it tickles our senses.

 

While praying this morning for someone I love dearly, I began to pull away at the roots of bitterness and anger. I’ve had issues with anger myself, so I began praying for myself, as well. In my mind, I could see the roots being lifted out of the dark, rich soil. The fact that the soil was so fertile blessed me, knowing good things can grow and are growing here, too! Like when I was a child, weeding the garden back home on the farm, I shook off the dirt from the large and tiny roots, alike. But instead of tossing the weed into a weed pile, I threw it over a cliff, into a fiery abyss was completely destroyed, never to grow here again.

My fingers dug deep into the ground, breaking up the soil as I prayed over it and asked God to bless it and fertilize it and plant His seeds there, the seeds of the fruit of the spirit, seeds of love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance… (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV). Then I realized that these seeds have already been planted here and I excitedly began to look around for the fruit of those seeds.

 

All of us who love plants, love watching them grow and produce. Scientists love to watch their projects progress, artists love to see their masterpieces morph all the way to their unveiling. So, too with God, as He watches us learn to love Him and trust Him with everything He’s given us. He’s watching us grow up to conform to His image, the image in which He created us in the first place.

 

God has given us the authority to pull up the snares (Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like… Galatians 5:19-21 KJV), to make room for the fruit of His Spirit to grow abundantly in our lives.

 

Time to do some gardening?