Weeds just seem to "appear" from the ground, hidden, growing from nothing. Without a gardener's vigilance, they take over gardens, lawns, cracks in sidewalks.
As I looked at the disarray in my garden, I thought of sin and God's Word.
Most days, I also spend time in Bible reading and prayer, and my Christian faith is nourished; as my faith grows, my sin, the weeds of my heart, are kept at bay.
But looking at that garden...I was reminded how quickly sin can take root and flourish. Besides the abundance of small weeds, I also found two 3-foot tall intruders that had taken root; and I had trouble pulling them out.
Just as garden weeds are a constant battle, so, for the Christian, sin is a constant battle. My heart is full of "seeds of sin" that are just waiting to sprout; and I'm not even aware of it.
The Bible often speaks about seeds, sin, and weeds - see Matthew 13, The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the Weeds.
The visual, of looking at that garden and those weeds, hit home with me. No matter how hard "I try" to do it, I can't make myself, especially make my heart, be different.
But God's Word does. His Word does what it says it will do. It's like a weeding, a therapy session, a workout. Sometimes it's not pleasant - most often it's not pleasant.
...so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11His Word just works on me and my heart to keep sin from sprouting and taking over.
At the same time, without me realizing what's happening, as the sin is dying, the fruit appears.
One of my favorite prayers from Paul:
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11Amen.
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