This fall we were cleaning up our yard in preparation to put our house on the market...along with 14 million other people. We’ve done a LOT of work updating the inside and out over the last 5 years. It’s almost an entirely new house. (Anybody want to buy a house?)
Anyway, during the process of cleaning up and sprucing up the outside of the house, I came across a weed. It was toward the side of the yard behind some bushes and out of the normal traffic area in the back yard. Now, obviously I didn’t know this thorny weed was there…for a very long time. It had continued to grow, undisturbed and unchecked for, who-knows-how-long. It was over five feet tall! I named it Goliath…just before I killed it. You might say it’s my own ‘David and Goliath’ story.
In our spiritual lives, we need to be aware of weeds. They can grow up and choke out the spiritual growth and fruitfulness of the Word of God in our lives. Jesus said so in the Parable of the Sower. What about those weeds that might be off the beaten path and out of our normal line of sight?
That might be why the first David prayed,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-34 NKJV
I’ve pulled weeds enough in my day to know that you have to pull them up by the root. You can’t just break off the top. If you don’t get to the hidden, underground root system, your garden may look good for awhile, but underneath the weeds are still growing, and sapping the strength out of the plants you want to flourish. Soon, everybody will be able to see the weeds.
Some of these weeds might be bitterness, unforgiveness, prejudice, anger, resentment, laziness and so many more. You’d be surprised how quickly weeds can overtake a garden if you don’t pay attention to them constantly. Ask God to show you your hidden weeds today…and get your spade.
Enjoying the journey,
David
