Time To Go Weeding

Scripture:

Matthew 13:1-9 (NASB)

That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Matthew 13:18-23 (NASB)

“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is onlytemporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Devotional:

If you have ever planted a garden you have enjoyed the pleasure of weeding.  When I was in high-school I took a plant biology class.  As a part of the class I had to start a small garden.  I found a corner by the front between the sidewalk and the house.  It was there that I decided to make my garden.  The first thing was to decide what to plant.  Picking out the right plants for the specific environmental conditions is critical for the success of the garden.  Once I knew what I wanted to plant I had to prepare the soil.  All the grass and weeds had to come out.  Left with the rich black dirt I planted my seeds.  It didn’t take long before the flowers sprouted up and grew.

Jesus even used sowing seeds as a comparison to spiritual growth.  We can be like the rocky soil and nothing will grow.  We can be like ground was for my garden, full of unwanted plants.  In this case there is no room for healthy spiritual growth.  We will hear God’s word but be quickly choked out. 

Farmers prepare their fields every year for new crops.  Gardeners constantly tend their gardens pulling out weeds and other unwanted plants.  Our spiritual growth and health is the same.  We must nurture what is planted in our hearts.  We must actively weed out the bad or unwanted things.  This will give room for the good things, the Holy Spirit.  What is in your heart?  Is it full of weeds?  Is the soil rich and ready for a bountiful crop?  Seek God to change your heart and help you prepare your heart for Him.  He can help you weed out the bad to make room for Him.