Thursday, April 12, 2012

Do You Reap A Harvest?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

Oh, if only our garden could grow as easily as saying a nursery rhyme.  But we all know that’s not reality, is it?  Or course not; it takes a lot of hard work to plant a successful garden. Now I must admit there was a time when I planted my garden that the ground wasn’t plowed sufficiently before I planted the seeds and I didn’t take the time to pull all the weeds that were in the way either.  I just sort of mulched it all together and pretended the weeds didn’t exist.  After all, it was way too much work and I found every angle to cut corners just so I could get my garden planted.  I counted on the rain to water my garden and simply forgot to check the moisture on the soil when it was scorching hot outside.  Yet, I couldn’t wait for the “fruit of my labor” to start paying off.  What a big, big, mistake!  It wasn’t long before the weeds took over and choked most of my beautiful tomato plants; and what wasn’t choked out by weeds was all dried up from lack of water.  Needless to say, my garden barely produced any fruit that year and at the end of harvest time I reaped what I sowed; very little; because I chose to be lazy and take the easy way out. 

Sounds a lot like the parable Jesus shares in Mark 4:3-8 (NKJV)    “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty and some a hundred.”

And so it leaves the question in my mind, "What happens with the seed (the Word of God) when I hear it preached?  Do I allow it to go in one ear and out the other; allowing the birds of the air (Satan) to come and steal it away before it even has a chance to take root in my spirit?  Or does the Word appear to get into my spirit only until an issue or crisis comes up; causing me to forget the scriptures when I need them the most?  Has my life been so consumed with worldly things to the point that when scriptures try to take root, they quickly get choked out by the weeds & thorns I have inside of me because of existing sin?"  It’s so easy to take God’s Word and twist it around to fit our own situations.  I know; I’m guilty of doing it myself.  But just because I chose to manipulate the scriptures in order to validate the choices I make, it doesn’t change what God’s Word is saying to me.  His Word remains the same; regardless of how I choose to apply it to my life.  

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Take a moment now; search your heart and ask yourself, “How am I applying God’s Word in my life?  Are the seeds that have been planted in my spirit man being watered so that they can grow, or have they been choked out by the choices I’ve made along the way?  Then simply start pulling the weeds and get rid of them completely.  Start watering the seeds by reading & hearing God's Word. Trust the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you along the way and be open to His direction.  There may be thistles that need to be uprooted; something that appears to be ok; but has jagged edges that could ultimately destroy your crops.  And remember what Galations 6:9 (NIV) tells us; "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Be patient and trust the Lord!

Don’t let the birds of the air (Satan), steal your harvest!

It’s that simple folks! 
Be blessed my family & friends!  Walk in the Lord’s total favor!

Love you all!
Cyndy

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