“Other seed fell in the weeds;
the weeds grew with it and strangled it”
(Luke 8:7 MSG)
Reflection:
Weeds tend to do that – as any gardener knows. They grow thickly and strongly, taking the food from the soil, crowding out the plants and often cutting out the light. The longer they are allowed to grow the harder they are to get rid of.
Most of us have weeds in our lives. Some will be things that occupy our time, our minds and our actions for no purpose. They are not valid recreational activities but time wasters – stealing time and effort from the things that we should or could be doing and which would bear more valuable fruit. They are not the activities we would look back on with satisfaction at the end of the day. They don’t normally feature on ‘to-do’ lists’ or schedules of achievements. What is more, instead of refreshing and inspiring us they often drain us and leave us feeling either dissatisfied or even guilty.
Other weeds will come from the deluge of information that we receive daily and which includes lies, mis-information and unhelpful rubbish. Too easily we allow it to settle and form a barrier to clear thinking.
Hard patches, stony areas, weedy spots – they describe well parts of our lives. Yet they are not things that need to be permanent features from now on. Indeed they should not be because they get in the way of our living and of the Lord’s desire to bless us, develop us and use us. It is not as if He is ignoring us. Rather parts of our lives are not properly open to His blessing.
Response:
Ask God to reveal these areas – we will know some of them already. Ask Him to inspire and guide us in how to deal with them. Watch what you do with your time. Filter what you receive and accept.
Prayer:
Father thank You for the precious gift of time and for all the seeds that You sow in my life. Help me to clear my life of the weeds, stones and hard patches and to open myself to Your love and word. In Jesus name. Amen.
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The Soaring Eagle 