Seeds and Weeds

This morning I read The Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13.  Jesus uses this parable to explain more about the kingdom of heaven.  He uses the example of a man sowing good seed in his field, but while he was sleeping, the enemy came and sowed weeds.  So when the plants came up, the weeds appeared also.

This made me think about my flower pots again. Every year, I battle with weeds. I didn’t plant them, but still, they are there, and I have to deal with them, or they will take over the beautiful blooms that I planted.

This led me once again to my heart. Perhaps I can’t keep my flower pots from weeds but I can keep my heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, “keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life.” I must prepare the soil of my heart and plant good seed.  And then I must protect my heart and the seed that I have carefully planted there  to prevent the enemy from sowing weeds.

I don’t like pulling up weeds, whether they’re in my pots or in my heart. It’s tiresome and time consuming.  I would rather just have a really good harvest of peace and joy and love and patience and kindness and gentleness.

How do we keep the enemy from sowing weeds in our hearts?I believe the primary way we keep our hearts is to spend time every day reading and meditating on Scripture and taking time to pray and ask Jesus to help us apply the scriptures to our lives.

We can’t afford to sleep in the spiritual sense. We must be alert and spiritually strong at all times and in all seasons.  Time spent reading and meditating on Scripture and in prayer will help us keep the weeds from our hearts.  The choices that we make in life will also protect our hearts from weeds.  Choices about what we watch, or what we listen to or what we think about.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

This verse convicts me every single time I read it.  Imagine what our lives would look like if these are the things we think about.

Jesus, I pray that you will help us all to stay awake and alert spiritually, and be careful to keep our hearts with all vigilance.  Help us to be faithful to read and meditate on Your Word every day, and think about that which pleases You. And may the good seed we plant in our hearts grow and bloom into much beauty in our lives.