It’s a good morning to take a walk in the garden with the Master. He has some beautiful blooms planted there, and He is waiting patiently to see them grow.
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How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
I hate to weed. I don’t invite those pesky weeds to visit my garden, yet they persist in taking up space in my flower beds that should be filled with only brilliant blooms.
Worse still, my vision issues makes it hard for me to pluck the weeds now. It’s far too easy for me to miss a weed that’s right there in front of me or even worse, to pluck a precious flower by mistake.
My dear husband provides the solution to such problems by spraying the persistent weeds with weed killer. This works, but requires some patience on my part to wait for him to get around to this task. Sometimes, the weeds get quite a jumpstart before he has a chance to take care of these unwelcome interlopers.
The garden in my yard requires a lot of tending. The watering and fertilizing takes time and effort, but so do the weeds.
Looking at those pesky weeds this morning made me think about another garden, the garden of my soul. What does my soul garden need to flourish? Certainly there are some delightful flowers there, some precious blooms ready and waiting to brighten someone’s day, but there are also some stubborn weeds of discontent, pride and selfishness. Left unchecked, the weeds could take over.
Far too often, I am guilty of overlooking those bitter weeds, satisfying myself that the beautiful blooms are enough, that their presence makes up for the weeds. Sometimes, I try to hide the weeds with well placed pine needles, covering them up instead of plucking them out. Maybe no one will notice, and I can skip the hard work of weeding out the bad and replacing it with good.
Worse still, I find myself checking out other people’s gardens, content to locate their weeds and call attention to their garden’s perceived inadequacies. I focus on their weeds, criticizing their size and location, while failing to notice the fragrant flowers that are mixed in with the weeds. By belittling their gardens, I convince myself that mine at least looks better even if I still have some weeds of my own.
The Master Gardener, our Sovereign Lord, has a message for me, and perhaps for you too. “Tend to your own garden. Make it beautiful for Me instead of worrying about your neighbor’s garden. I have planted the perfect flowers in you, ones specifically designed for you to showcase. Tend to them. Make them bloom. If you open the gate to your garden, I will help you pluck the weeds. I will help your garden grow just as I planned long ago.”
Can you hear the Gardener today? Are you ready to bloom with all He has planted? Are you willing to tend to your own garden, ridding it of the weeds and replacing them with beautiful new growth?
Meet me in the garden. I’ve got a lot of work to do.
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For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 – NLT
PRAYER
O Loving Father, forgive the weeds we have let have their way in the garden of our souls. We know You have a good purpose for us to fulfill in this life. We know You have gifted us with just the right spiritual gifts and talents to serve Your kingdom. Lord, help the good stuff You have planted to flourish, producing the beautiful things You planned for us long ago. Let us bloom brightly and give You all the glory.
Faith Beyond Sight 