This is a great devotional that I get from http://www.faithbooking.com/. It's a great faith based scrapbooking website. It just spoke to my heart, I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy!!
Devotional: How does your garden grow?
by Betsy BurnettPart 1- The "garden of weedin"
"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." Mark 4: 3-8I was once at a craft show and they had the most adorable handmade sign for a garden it said "The garden of Weedin" boy did that give me a chuckle. Where as we have a garden, I'll be the first one to admit, that I am a rather reluctant gardener. My husband grew up with garden fresh veggies and fruits, I on the other hand grew up with a mom with a self proclaimed "black thumb" she would try to grow things in our back yard and inevitably whatever it was that was being grown would well, to put it mildly die. Part of mom's problem was we had horrible soil in our yard; it grew grass and dandelions but not really much of anything else. So while I didn't grow up "growing" things, my husband on the other hand did. So ever since we got married we have had a garden. Now the problem with this is that he's an over the road truck driver who is gone 6 days a week, this being the case the "joy" of gardening falls on my shoulders. Now I admit it I love a good garden fresh tomato just like the next gal, but well I just don't like the whole process... well that isn't completely true, I love the planting part it's the maintenance and upkeep that do me in! (I just joke with my husband that I am the "evangelist" of the garden...I'll "plant the seeds" someone else can water them but God has to make them grow!)I think my biggest pitfall when it comes to gardening is the WEEDING! UGH how I dislike that task! You know I learned something VERY profound about weeds, you don't have to do ANYTHING to plant weeds, they grow (and very well I might add) all by themselves!Every year it's the same thing, my husband gets out the great big tiller, and loosens up the soil for me, overturning all the weeds and mixing them in chopping them up so when it's done there is lovely black dirt ready to receive the tomato plants (and peppers and cucumbers, and watermelon, and pumpkins.) Inevitably though something happens, it rains or we get busy so things don't get planted right away. Does that fresh overturned earth stay all black and weed free ready for us to plant? NOPE, birds come and bring seeds, some of the roots that were not destroyed star to grow again, pretty soon there are weeds "planted." Meaning we have to go pull those weeds before we can go plant the good stuff. We need to do the totally despised the task of pulling and cutting, and yanking to be able to have some room to plant in. Because if I don't pull the weeds, they will not only steal all the nutrients from the soil but if it gets too bad, there won't be any room to even plant my veggies! If want my really good BLT sandwiches I better get busy!
Jesus talks about our hearts being like soil and his word what is planted there. As He explains in Mark 4: 13-20 you don't need to plant weeds in your heart either, weeds happen.Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."Life has a way of happening its part of well... being alive! Because of life happening, we need to be extra diligent in tending to what is planted in our hearts. We hear God's word, we even KNOW what we are suppose to do with it but then things happen, you get busy so you don't have time so that word that was planted gets choked out by lack of care. Or Someone close to you gets sick so you start to worry and forget to trust. Or in the opposite extreme, you are going great and therefore forget to remember that it's God who is your provision.Just like it takes diligence in tending a veggie garden, it takes diligence in tending the garden of our hearts.
Daily we need to take the time to remove the things that distract us from hearing God's word. We need to take time during trials to remember God's word and allow it to sooth our souls. We need to remember in times of prosperity that it's God who is our provision. The goal of my veggie garden is fresh produce to feed me and my family. If I don't tend to it, the weeds that have volunteered to grow there will eventually crowd out the good stuff. In the same way life can choke out the word of God planted in our hearts. It takes daily tending to remove those things that get in the way from it growing. But as scripture promises us, with careful tending, it will produce a good crop of "thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
I have to admit that I haven't been tending the garden of my heart. I know the Lord is tugging at my heart to refocus and regroup and to be still. Sometimes, kind of like this week, I can go threw a day without reading the word. I wonder why do I feel so dry, thirsty and hungry. I know it's because that I haven't taken the time to spend with the Lord. This time is soo important in my life. Lord I pray that you would help me to remember to water the garden of my heart, Lord remind to soak up your word, put the water on power blast. I don't want a trickle I need the power treatment!!! I need miracle grow!!! Please!!!
This week the Lord has been speaking to me, I noticed after I read this devotional today, that I need to tend to my garden (my heart). Thank you Lord for speaking to me and revealing yourself and what I need to me. Your are amazing!!! Hallelujah!!!!
Until next time.
In His Love,
Adrienne
How funny, this is exactly what my script is for puppets this month. I was just taking a break from rewriting and I popped on here to see what's new. Maybe that was God reminding me to get back to work! Anyway, thank you for your hard work so far this week. May you reap many blessings. Love ya!
ReplyDeleteToo funny. I printed this out when it came in my email. I loved it! I always print out these for future pages. She is so good and annointed with these devotions.
ReplyDeleteBe blessed,
Melanie
The Lord is so good!!! I guess he speaking to us all this week, in many ways!!!
ReplyDeleteLove ya girlies!!!
In His Love,
Adrienne
Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you!
Julie
Your welcome Julie!!
ReplyDeleteIn His Love,
Adrienne
P.S. BTW, Thanks for stopping by