Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Even the ugly things of nature can teach us beautiful lessons about God and our growth with him. I was pondering one such simple lesson this past week.

Being a beautiful October day...I set outside looking for some productive activities to do that would help a local fami-Lee. The breeze was refreshing, just right in fact, it had just stopped raining and the sun was now playing hide and seek behind the clouds.

I worked on one project for a bit...but then needed to wait for more supervision, so had to stop. So then, I turned to the weeds. Here and there, in between the cracks of concrete in the drive, some daring little weeds were just beginning to push their heads to the sun. I felt sorry to uproot their progress, but they had unfortunately chosen to bed down in the wrong location...no doubt influenced by their friends. (Doesn't pay to hang with the wrong crowd!) So I set to work pulling them up. These came out quite effortlessly and with ease.

However, there were other weeds that had been around a while and were already well rooted. And they were NOT about to give up their place of establishment easily...I could just hear them taunting me "We've been here awhile, and we aren't moving! Go try working somewhere else!" Even though I pushed and pulled and dug and prodded...they did not want to come out. When I did finally get them out, they still left some of their roots behind...and since their roots were stuck in between the cracks of concrete, it was hard to get to the bottom of things. Uggghhhh....if only these had been pulled sooner.

And so my time went...back and forth...easily plucking the baby weeds, and fighting with the older ones. And it made me stop and think...

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You know, our bad habits and wrong choices work a lot like these weeds. Initially, if we do something wrong and are convicted by God to change, we can quickly root out the evil tendencies. But, if we ignore the convictions of the Holy Spirit and allow things to grow...they get stronger...and pretty soon they are sooo strong it is VERY HARD to uproot them. Oh, it's still possible - with God, ALL things are possible!!! But just imagine how much easier it would be to keep a clean heart (free of weeds and other debris) if, as soon as we noticed a weed (bad behavior, attitude, habit or action), we'd go and viciously rip it up and give it to God. "There, over and done with!!" Isn't that the way it is suppose to be??

Yes, weeds may be ugly little creatures...but even through them...God wants to teach us how to better live for Him.

Considering the above, I found the following quotes really convicting:


"It is My Father's good pleasure," Christ says to His disciples, "that ye bear much fruit." But you can not bear much fruit unless you take out of your lives the weeds of selfishness and sin. We do not ask what your past life may have been. We ask you to take out of your hearts, now, the weeds of evil, and let the word of truth dwell in you richly, that your lives may produce the fruits of righteousness and holiness. If you will do this, you will see in the kingdom of God the result of what you have learned on this school farm. Pull up the weeds of evil in your hearts, and plant the seeds of truth. {GH, June 1, 1904 par. 10}


"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up, and choked them." "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." Matt 13:7,22


Here is represented the controversy between satanic agencies and the Prince of Life. Which will obtain the supremacy? Which will become possessor of the soul? If the truth impressed upon human hearts is carefully cherished, and the weeds are uprooted, there will be a precious crop of grain. But the gospel seed often drops among thorns and noxious weed; and if there is not a moral transformation in the human heart; if old habits and practises and the former life of sin are not left behind; if the attributes of Satan are not expelled from the soul, the wheat crop will be stunted. The thorns of sin will grow in any soil. They need no cultivation. But grace must be carefully cultivated." {RH, October 3, 1899 par. 2-3}

So my friends...I think we probably all could find a few weeds in our lives...maybe attitudes of "ungratefulness, impatience, selfishness, vanity, or vain glory..." Let's get on our knees and go find them, whatever they may be, and pull them NOW...quickly, before they get ANY bigger. God will help us!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear sister,
This post was used to draw me to my knees in prayer tonight. Thank you. I really needed to read this. God bless you.