Lessons From The Garden – Weeds

Given June 2009

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.” Matthew 13:24-25

Every year while working in the garden, I find weeds.  I didn’t plant them but there they are.  I wonder is there anything good about weeds.  I constantly pull them up but they seem to always come back.  If I let them go, they’ll take over the garden and steal nutrients and water from my plants.  Some weeds are more persistent and plentiful than others and some of their roots go deep.  But I’m determined that those devilish plants will not win because I have the knowledge, ability, and desire to stop their assault on my ground.

Our enemy, the devil, is constantly looking for ways to mess up what God is cultivating in our lives; our ground.  He wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), the seed of God’s Spirit in us so it won’t develop and produce the harvest God intended.  We must keep at it every day.  When a weed of temptation, temper, unforgiveness, pride or lust pushes into view, we must act fast to eradicate it.  If we’re lazy and let other things occupy our time, we’re going to be in trouble.  “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death”. James 1:15.  It’s time to do some weeding.