+DEV+ Weeds and Thistles

Date: April 9, 2010 12:03 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Weeds and Thistles

Weeds and Thistles

"Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain" (Mark 4:7).
Scripture Focus: Mark 4:1-9

Farmers and gardeners around the world do battle with weeds, thorns and thistles. Weeds seem to appear out of nowhere and grow faster than anything else. Weeding is a never-ending chore.
Jesus said in Luke 6:44, "People do not pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles." The context of His teaching was a warning about false prophets. There is a tremendous danger in allowing weeds of untruth to come into our spiritual lives. Just as sure as a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, a Christ-like life cannot look like evil.

We can entreat our heavenly Father to eliminate the thistles and thorns that try to destroy our life in Christ. Those little weeds of jealousy or greed need to be ripped out of our hearts. Everyone knows that when you pull weeds, you need to get the roots, or the weeds will grow right back. So it is with our spiritual lives. Anger and bitterness need to be uprooted along with every other sin in our hearts. Let the Master Gardener do His pruning, weeding and trimming to cultivate His love in you.

Insight: Ask Jesus to weed your spiritual garden. He is the only one who can remove the sins that grow so quickly.