Scripture: “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” – Isaiah 61:11
Examination of chapter: Isaiah writes about the future restoration of the city of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. Additionally, he writes about the “Anointed One” who will heal the brokenhearted, set the captives free, and comfort those who are mourning.
Application: When my garden is in a state of neglect, as often happens during the winter months, I am faced with quite a challenge to revitalize it in the springtime. There is the removal of dead leaves, pruning of dead branches, revitalization of the soil, and laying down of mulch. Such an arduous task, but when properly done, it will yield a beautiful garden of fragrant flowers with colorful blossoms that seem alive with the buzzing of bees and the fluttering of butterfly wings!
One task that I struggle to make myself do is pull weeds! They seem to spring up overnight, and they are everywhere!! Ugh! They complete with my flowers for the nutrients in the soil, water, and sunlight! I have to remind myself that I have to get rid of the bad in order to propagate the good.
That’s a lot like growing spiritually. I have to weed out the sins in my life in order to allow the goodness of God to sprout in me! Just like in my garden, that is a task I do not enjoy doing. My sins constantly complete with what God wants to do in my life. I am reminded of what Paul said about this very thing in Romans 7:15-17, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” The truth is that sin appeals to my carnal nature, and it’s a constant battle to keep my spiritual garden from becoming overrun with those sins! Mark 4:19 warns what happens when those weeds go unattended, “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”
What can I do if even Paul struggled with this? After all, he was quite a bit more spiritual than I will ever hope to be in this life. Take heart! We have a spiritual weed killer available to us 24/7, and that is the Word of God. It’s the manual for having a beautifully thriving spiritual garden!
How to get rid of the weeds
1. Acknowledge and repent of the sin in my life
- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9
2. Renew my mind with Scripture
- “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” – Psalm 119:11
3. Submit to God
- “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7
4. Recommit yourself to Christ daily
- “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
To keep my flower garden free of weeds, I must constantly be examining the soil for the appearance of those invasive plants. Some of those weeds are very stubborn and require great effort to pull them out, so I have to catch them early. The minute I see them growing, I yank them out completely… root and all. This is also what I must do in my spiritual garden. Self-examination is a must, and the moment I notice a sprouting of sin, I must uproot it and cast it out completely.
As soon as I become complacent about the weeds, they will quickly overrun my physical and spiritual gardens. As written in 1 Peter 5:8, I must “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” If you diligently weed, your garden will yield beautiful flowers of faith!
Memory Verse: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:10
Stretching your thoughts:
1. What spiritual weeds are you holding on to?
2. Why do you find yourself wanting to hold on to those things that are not pleasing to the Lord?
3. To whom can you go for help in getting rid of those stubborn weeds?
There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting,
There’s a place that is wondrously fair,
For it glows with the light of His presence
’Tis that beautiful garden of prayer.
O the beautiful garden, the garden of prayer, O the beautiful garden of prayer!
There my Savior awaits, and He opens the gates to the beautiful garden of prayer.
There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting,
And He bids you to come meet Him there,
Just to bow and receive a new blessing
In the beautiful garden of prayer.
O the beautiful garden, the garden of prayer, O the beautiful garden of prayer!
There my Savior awaits, and He opens the gates to the beautiful garden of prayer.
(from “The Beautiful Garden of Prayer” by Eleanor Allen Schroll)