WEEK 7 – DAY 5

February 19, 2021

WEEDS

Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. Psalm 119:118-120

Pulling weeds.  Sounds like an unpleasant job, right?  I enjoy pulling weeds because I know that if I pull the few weeds that come up early in the spring, I can prevent having a yard full of weeds in the summer.  Oh yes, I use pre-emergent weed killer, and later distribute weed and feed all over the lawn and water it in well; but there are always a few weeds that escape the pre-emergent stage and are hard to kill once they are full grown.  Those are the ones that must be dug out if I desire a flawless carpet of green, and I’ll probably have to do it all over again next year if not all my neighbors tend their lawns. God is referred to as a husbandman or gardener in scripture.  He nurtures his garden, the church.  He sprinkles on the pre-emergent evil killer—the law we are taught from our youth and the milk of the word we learn when we first come to know Him.  Then he applies weed and feed, His word preached and read that shows us the areas we need to yield to Him so that desired growth occurs. Sometimes God pulls weeds.  He pulls weeds in our lives by removing things that hinder our walk with Him.  He also pulls the stubborn weeds who never surrender their lives to Him at all and “discards them like dross.”  He continues to work in our lives year after year to purify His garden. The next time you’re pulling weeds, remember to thank God for taking care of the garden of your life.  Allow Him to remove the weeds of bad habits and dangerous friendships as soon as the Spirit makes you aware of them. Apply the Bible in your life to prevent weeds before they emerge and stop the ones that are already growing.  Water it in by meditating on God’s word.

Thank You, Lord, for weeding our garden when the influence of others leads us astray.  Thank You working continually in Your garden the church and specifically in that small plot of ground that is our own lives. Thank You for firmly planting us in Your garden, and that no weeds can ever choke us out!