Daily Encouragement Net (Print Version)

“Encourage one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13).

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

"Keeping Up With The Weeds"

"Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?" He replied, "An enemy did this" (Matthew 13:27b, 28a).

Brooksyne is a diligent home gardener. I enjoy sharing photos of her flowers. She also has an herb and vegetable garden that is more practical, although not necessarily as beautiful. There are a lot of steps to caring for her plants and one of them is weeding. I help her some but I must admit I find weeding very frustrating. After all they always come back anyway!

A reality in home gardening is the importance of weed control and that's a fundamental truth in Christian discipleship as well! The Bible uses weeds to illustrate hindrances to our growth as Christians. In the parable of the sower Jesus emphasized His plan that the seed of His word be fruitful in His followers. But some seed was sown among the thorns (analogous to weeds), which choked the Word as it developed.

In Matthew 13 Jesus tells a series of "Kingdom" parables, the most familiar of which is the Parable of the Sower. But the statement found in the daily verse is from the second parable, which begins in verse 24. This parable speaks of a landowner who sowed good seed in his field, but while he slept his enemy came in and sowed weeds. Later when the weeds appeared beside the intended crop his servants, knowing that he had sown good seed, asked him, "Where then did the weeds come from?"

Isn't that the very question we often have in our own lives and in the work of God? The answer in the parable as stated by the landowner expresses a vital truth. "An enemy did this." Later, in explaining the parable Christ plainly says, "the enemy that sowed them is the devil" (v. 39). Indeed, this enemy continues his dastardly work individually and throughout the world. We must follow some good advice I recall as a child from Mom when we had a garden, "you've got to keep up with the weeds."

Now I don't attribute the weeds in our flower and vegetable gardens to a literal enemy, but they're sure a reminder of the truth of this parable. Today, may God help each of us as we continue to overcome the work of our archenemy in keeping up with the weeds and to remember, "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world."

Be encouraged today,

Stephen C. Weber

PS: A special note to those especially discouraged by the weeds. Don't let your discouragement paralyze you. If some weeds have gotten out of hand call out to God for help, get some encouragement and support from other believers and begin to weed, one small weed at a time.

Note from Brooksyne: Most all who garden know the most effective way to weed is not to just break off the weed at the ground level but dig beyond and pull out the root. Weeds simply broken off come back quickly and vigorously. So often we do the same thing in our spiritual lives – we lay aside a sin for a season, but don't really allow God to pluck it from our hearts. It's like keeping a destructive habit under control in our actions but not expunging it from our lives. Digging up the root of a weed takes more effort but the benefits far outweigh the temporary measure of just breaking it off. May we apply this spiritual truth to our lives as well!

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; and the King James Version.

Personal Mission Statement: “I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God’s Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life’s goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity.”

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