It’s been a while since I checked our yard for weeds. I figured,
It’s winter, I can let that go for now.
Of course, I was wrong.
Now I know why Grandma had my brothers and I bike over to her house on weekends to pull weeds!
Have you ever noticed how weeds seem to thrive in the most unexpected places? They grow in cracks on the sidewalk, driveways, in bricks, and even in places where nothing else can flourish. Weeds can also indicate soil health and nutrient dificiencies.
Just as we need to regularly tend to our gardens to keep the weeds at bay, we need to nurture our spiritual lives to keep our mind clear.
This week I was feeling (to put it lightly) stressed! So like every girl does, I called my friend to vent! She started talking about her group therapy session and how she talked to her clients about their bodies response to stress. The polyvagal nerve warns your body, triggering a reaction. As she was telling me more technical terms, all I could think was,
“Is there a way to avoid feeling stressed?”
Throughout the day I was praying, and telling God at the same time, “You know this would be a lot easier if you could make this happen, you know, do this instead of that…”
If life were too easy, we wouldn’t need God. We would be our own God.
God didn’t answer my prayer giving me the easy route, but you know what he did do? He gave me the exact verses I needed in my Bible reading plan for the day. I realized God couldn’t have orchestrated this more perfect.
I was in Mark chapter 4, where Jesus is telling the parable of the scattered seed.
“A Farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.” Mark 4:3-8 (MSG)
This parable is talking about how a farmer plants the Word of God in people’s hearts. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil. Satan snatches away what has been planted before they have a chance to grow their faith. Others are like the seed that lands in the gravel. The first time they hear the word they are on fire for Jesus, but once problems come, their faith disappears.
But it was the seed that was cast in the weeds that spoke to me.
“The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.” Mark 4: 18-19 (MSG)
When I read this verse, I immediately felt like God was saying,
“Daughter, wake up! Don’t let the weeds strangle you!”
God was so kind to remind me, there is actually a way to not feel stressed. It’s resting in him! Meditating on his word!
Because…
If you let worries and stress pile up, forgetting to listen to God’s voice, you can get strangled in the weeds trying to find your way back.
Start pulling weeds!
God loves you too much to let weeds suffocate you.
And that’s the best thing about him;
EVEN IF you let the weeds pile up, HE can still rescue you!
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