Day Thirteen Weeds
As you begin to study the scripture, as God begins to speak to you through his word, you will see the weeds that have sprouted up in your midst. The weeds of sin that have gone unattended are choking out the new growth God is trying to accomplish in your life. Jesus taught this lesson to his disciples and the many people who followed him as he taught. Jesus drew large crowds of people to his talks. I can just see him, casually sitting on the beach, probably praying to his father and listening for God to tell him what to say to the disciples next. His quiet time interrupted once again by a huge crowd that had assembled close by. He could see the huge crowd as he walked closer to them, and he climbed into a ship to have a better podium to speak from. He chose to teach them in simple stories that would relate to their simple lives. He carefully chose words that would have meaning to the disciples, but hide the complete mysteries of the kingdom from ears that had not been given wisdom yet.
Matthew 13
1The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
We are tightly closed seeds in God’s hands, our seed coats closed tight against the pain we just suffered. As long as we stay tightly closed, we do not feel the warmth of his love, the quenching waters of his cleansing blood, or begin to take in the bright rays of hope that radiate from his glory. Our lives, like the seeds in the story, become scorched, as they fall upon rocks and dry up in its heat, get choked out of growth as the sins in our lives compete with God’s will. If we wait too long we will be devoured by Satan.
Your seed has the potential to become a tall, strong plant. But God must remove all the chaf, thorns, and weeds from around this seed before he can help you grow. These sins will restrict you from feeling his healing power. They will keep your seed coat so tightly closed around your seed you can never feel God at work in your life,
As God began to identify the weeds in my own life that restricted my growth, I began to understand how to ask his forgiveness for my mistakes. It is such a wonderful feeling, to receive mercy from the father. His love rushes into your soul and begins to replace the misery and darkness, with his warmth, light and the peace of his cool streams of mercy. Satan has to flee from such radiance, he cannot stand it, and as Satan flees God takes the empty spaces where your sins had lived…and he plants new seeds of hope.
This confession of sins to God is so powerful, it empowers you to change things in your life that you thought you had no control over. There was a time in the Israelites lives when they had been confronted with a terrible sin, one that had drawn in women from other cultures, one that had gone on for a long time. Their sin was holding them back from winning a great battle, so they stopped to pray and fast and inquire of God. His message was clear, they must change. They must follow the commandment to marry within their own culture and begin the process of purifying the blood lines once again. There would be many casualties, broken hearted men and women who I am sure loved each other very much. Children who would miss a loving father, and most likely face starvation as they were sent away. So cruel it seems, but such is the nature of sin in our lives, and our God is a jealous God, allowing nothing to get in the way of our total dependence on him. When we keep the sins sealed tightly inside that seed we run the risk of depending on the comfort of our earthly desires instead of relying on God.
Ezra 10
1Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
3Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
4Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
5Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
6Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
Just as the Israelites confessed their sins and made the first steps toward repentance, God calls each of us to do the same. As I confess and ask forgiveness for the many sins I have kept locked away in my seed, the Holy Spirit washes over me and renews my strength. What an amazing God to allow me this new chance to work for him. To be empowered by his spirit to grow anew from his mercy.
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