It’s spring and with the rain and warmer temperatures come weeds. You have to be vigilant or you will wind up saying like an inattentive gardener: “How in the world did that weed grow so big? And there’s so many of them. I just weeded this bed 2 weeks ago!”
Sin is like that! It hides and sneaks in if our hearts are unguarded.
Let’s have some fun (since this is such a serious subject) and play hide and seek with the much-hated dandelion weed.
Where’s that sneaky little weed hiding in this picture?
That was an easy one, but can you find the dandelion in the next photo? (No cheating!)
Unless you look extremely carefully you’ll miss it. Here’s a closeup:
In fact, there were 2 dandelion weeds hiding. Until you pulled the other plants out of the way, they were invisible.
Now that you’ve spotted them, they’re easy to pull out. Ha Ha!
Dandelions have deep tap roots. If you don’t get it all, it’ll grow back. You need a special tool to get the entire root.
If the ground is dry, it’s best to water it well before attempting to dig it out. Even then it’s a battle.
In this case, which is typical, I didn’t get all the roots of these two, but I did with the smaller dandelion found in the first picture.
What can we learn from this?
1. The smaller the weed, the easier to get it all.
The sooner we address a sin issue, the smaller it will be and therefore easier to expunge from our lives. Therefore, at the first sign of sin, nip it in the bud before it grows. As soon as the Holy Spirit convicts you (shows you your sin), confess and repent.
2. The larger and older the weed, the deeper we need to dig.
Entrenched sinful habits are hard to break and need repeated addressing. We need God’s special Tool: His Word.
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Heb 4:12)
Once isn’t enough though. You’ll have to go back again and again; soaking yourself in the Scripture and allowing God to do what only He can do. Only He can expose the root cause and remove it. Are you willing to pray as David did?
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you; and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Ps 139:24)
We all have different weaknesses where we are prone to sin. Plus we have the world and the Evil One trying to cultivate the soil of our hearts to grow those ugly weeds of sin.
So, keep your guard up, friend! Be diligent in searching and digging out those sinful areas in your life. It takes intentionality, persistence, and the power of your Redeemer to have victory over sin. But be of good courage…
You have the best Gardener, God Himself, helping you! (see John 15:1)
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one [Christ] who is in you is greater than the one [devil] who is in the world.
(1 Jn 4:4)*
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Newsflash! Speaking of the Gardener, my next book will be released in less than 2 weeks (June 9, 2020)!
The Master’s Garden: An Allegory of Abiding in the Vine!
Click HERE to learn more!
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
*THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.