Weeds Again?
I just weeded my garden last week? What’s up with the weeds?
Weeds in the garden are a visual of the battle of mind and heart attitudes within each of us on every given day.
We often work on cleaning things up, and before we know it,
we’re attacked with this, overwhelmed with that, misunderstood, sick in our stomachs, worn out, and . . .
weeds take over. Our heart’s garden reminds us of a nursery rhyme with Mary, Mary quite contrary. If we stay like this, our garden won’t grow.
So, we call out to God.
. . . you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: “Here am I” Isaiah 58:9.“
The Bible shines a light on everything and gives me hope and empowers me to believe:
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener John 15:1.
God’s the gardener. I can look to Him for my help. Jesus will guide me, the Holy Spirit will remind me, and I can grow, moving forward.
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 15:2.
“Cut it out!” Whatever and whenever God convicts, we must cut out the excuses for the thoughts and behavior.
Fear. Pull it out. And add the water of faith, hope, and love for the Lord.
Remember the hurts? Pull them out. The disappointments? Let them go. The frustrations aren’t worth an inch of our soil.
. . . Break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you Hosea 10:12.
God is worth hearing. God tells us that Jesus is the Vine John 15:5.
Our gardens are cleaned up as we spend time in God’s Word because we are changed by the spade of His Word: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you John 15:3.
But what has He said?
Let’s be anxious to know these things, before we check out any other news. Then, God promises that our gardens will be full of His amazing fruit of patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.
Isn’t this how God loves us?
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love John 15:9.
I am loved by God the Father, the Creator of everything. He l o v e s me. He l o v e s you.
You and I need to stay in this position.
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete John 15:10,11.
Fruitful flower gardens? Yes, or no? We each have a choice.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command John 15:12-14.
Am I a friend of God?
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you John 15:15.
Let’s choose to know Him more. To be washed in salvation through belief in Jesus, and be cleansed daily by reading and obeying the things God shows us in His Word.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you John 15:16.
“We ask that You help us rip out the weeds of the past and that You water us overflowing with Your Spirit, in Jesus’ Name.”
This is my command: Love each other.
Let’s see every flower garden as an exhortation to this command: Love each other.
Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate];
Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness.
Break up your uncultivated ground,
For it is time to seek and search diligently for the Lord [and to long for His blessing]
Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you Hosea 10:12, AMP.
To God be the glory, great things He forever does!
