Be Careful Where You Till (A Flourish Devotional)

As I walk my dogs each morning, I pass a rose bush. Earlier in the spring, the bush budded with coral blooms, a beautiful sight, indeed. However, a broadleaf weed began to grow at the base of the bush. As each week passed, the weed grew taller and my dislike for it grew with it. The weed is now taller than the rose bush by at least 2 feet and is almost as tall as I am.

To be quite honest, every time I pass it, I want to cut it down. Yet, I have a problem: the weed and the bush are growing in my neighbor's yard three houses down. Let me tell you, if they were in my yard, the weed wouldn't have survived a week.

One morning last week, I passed the odd combination of plants, and the Lord said to me, "It's not your weed to kill. Every plant, no matter how beautiful or distasteful, has its purpose in my Kingdom." I heard what He said, but I didn't want to receive it.

Curiosity drove me to the internet to find out just what this weed, a.k.a, plant, might be. I discovered that it is called "Common Mullein" and actually has a variety of medicinal purposes, among other things. As it happens, the taller it grows, the more beautiful it becomes, as small, yellow flowers begin to appear as it reaches its maximum height. In my mind, pretty flowers or not, it was still just an overgrown weed.

You can only imagine the mixed feelings that followed. "But, Lord," I said, "it's such an eyesore! Why do they let it grow like that? Won't it hurt the rosebush? I wish I could cut it down!" But, as He always does, the quiet whisper of the Holy Spirit came and changed my point of view.

You see, as we discovered earlier this week, "trials till the soil of our souls so that the seeds of faith fall on fertile ground and take root." However, your trials are not the same as mine and vice-versa. The journey to our growth is individual, not collective, although you and I may be receiving the same message. The important thing to remember is this: we cannot till land that does not belong to us.

Jesus likened our hearts to that of soil in Luke 8, the Parable of the Sower. We will pick it up in verse 11:

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. (Luke 8:11-15, NLT)

Most of us can quickly determine the nature of the soil of our own hearts. We'd like to say we are all "good soil." But, the reality is, many of us are still tilling our land, moving through trial after trial, ripping up weeds, planting new seeds and praying for growth.

I'd ask you to consider this, however: how many times have you looked at the trials in someone else's life and seen the hard ground, rocks, thorns and weeds? Have you felt like me and wanted to take charge of their lives and either turn them around or save them altogether?

You and I have no right to remove the obstacles in somebody else's life just because it makes us uncomfortable.

We are exhorted by the Apostle Paul, ". . . you must continually work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for God is the One Who works in you, both to determine and to work, for His good pleasure.(Philippians 2:12b-13, The One New Man Bible, emphasis mine). My spiritual mama and counselor puts it like this: "Each one of us is working out his own salvation and deliverance." 

Just as Jesus likens our lives to the farmer's field, you and I can look at the landscape of our lives and realize that we have enough of our own tilling to do. We lack the time and energy to till someone else's. While it is important to come along side each other and lend a helping hand, ultimately, we are each responsible for the fruit in our lives. Only by walking with Jesus can we weather the storms, endure the trials and yield the harvest He has commissioned us to cultivate.

My point is this, whatever thorn or weed I see in my sister's life that makes me squirm and feel the need to remove, the reality is that she needs to work that ground with God, and I need to see her do it. Both of us will see the glory of God manifested in her life and the promise of His faithfulness fulfilled. We overcome by the "blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony" (Revelation 12:11). Sometimes, we need to allow the ones we love to endure pain, heartache, disappointment, sorrow, loss and devastation so that we all may rejoice in knowing that God is sovereign regardless of how ugly things look.

The Lord says to Hosea in Chapter 10, verse 12, "I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’" (NLT)

There are two ways to look at this verse, as we close. First we can identify "the hard ground of our hearts" to be the rocks, thorns and weeds that are left in our lives by a prior generation, placed by our own actions and choices, or allowed to exist because God has something to teach us. 

However, I'd like you to focus on a different part of the verse, "for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you."

The thought I'd like to leave you with is this:  The trials in our lives are appointed by God. There is no hair on your head that He does not know (Luke 12:7), nor is there a trial or challenge in your life that is unforeseen (Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 1:4). God chooses when to allow the trials in our lives because He is ready to do a work in us. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), so do not misunderstand me. Your path, your journey, your purpose, is entirely ordained and orchestrated by your Father in Heaven, to include when and where He chooses to grow you. 

As I said before, you and I can choose how we will receive the trials in our lives. We can allow our ground to remain hardened, full of fear, bitterness, unforgiveness and the heavy stones of unrepented sin. We can allow the thorns and weeds to grow, as improper thinking, willful ignorance and inappropriate relationships choke out the good seed that has been sown into our lives. 

Or, we can embrace the love of the Father, as He uses trials, purposely and carefully crafted, to grow our character, secure our foundation and allow the seeds of faith to flourish.

The Price of Growth (Declare - A Flourish Weekly Devotional)

Be sure to visit the Flourish website!

For the last couple of months, I have felt a deep stirring in my soul. It's hard to put into words, but it is like the rising tide of the ocean, slowly and steadily increasing from within. I sense it more acutely with each message I hear at church, each powerful believer I encounter, and most of all, as I spend time with the Lord.

Yet, as the tide ebbs and flows, I begin to realize that there is so much more within my reach. So many times it feels like God is calling to me, yet the voice is distant. I feel His presence, the warmth of His Spirit, and in an instant, it gives way to the cold of the world around me.

Perhaps you have felt like this on occasion. Perhaps you feel this way now. You may be wondering why this feeling takes hold of you at all.

That beckoning, that yearning, that pulls us into faith in the unseen is called growth. As our dear Flourish friend, Helen Baker, wrote, "Flourishing has everything to do with where we are planted and with our response to God during the good and bad times." Helen spoke of several Biblical heroes who grew in their faith through pain and heartache.

Growth comes at a price: the enduring of trials.

James 1:2-5 tells us:

“Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.” (The Voice)

(click image to download printable scripture card)

According to the One New Man Bible, "A trial is a heavenly test that forces a person to choose between God's will and his own nature or understanding of what is right. By standing in faith, we serve as witnesses to the world of His power working through us."

Most of us shy away from any kind of test, spiritual or otherwise. We fear failure or exhibiting sub-par performance. I might be the odd woman out here, but tests in school came easily for me because I liked to study. I was "that" student (a.k.a. "the nerd"). Tests were the easy part of school for me. However, not everyone around me felt the same. I'd venture to say that a fear of failure was due to lack of preparedness or misplaced focus.

Isn't our daily walk with Jesus the same? Life's ebbs and flows cannot be predicted, but you and I can be prepared for them. It's an open book test! Yet, so many of us feel like failures because we are not studying the material. It is the heart of Flourish to teach you the methods and practices of getting in the Word each day,  born out of a desire to see your life transformed. Our hope is to see you experience the joy of growing in the midst of the trials you face:

“You should greatly rejoice in what is waiting for you, even if now for a little while you have to suffer various trials. Suffering tests your faith which is more valuable than gold (remember that gold, although it is perishable, is tested by fire) so that if it is found genuine, you can receive praise, honor, and glory when Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, is revealed at last.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, The Voice)

As we grow more secure in our identity in Christ, a transformation takes place. We become unsettled and uncomfortable in situations where we once felt content or indifferent. Our entertainment choices change; how we speak, think and act changes, and our circle of friends changes as well. We are moved to action where we once stood as bystanders, and we begin to question our old patterns and habits.

Trials till the soil of our souls so that the seeds of faith fall on fertile ground and take root. The Spirit of God waters those seeds, giving them the nourishment they need to grow deep and strong. Robust roots give us the strength we need to endure the hard times.

God gave me Jeremiah 17:7-8 as my life verse, and I believe that it sums up what my heart wishes to convey:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in Me alone; the Eternal will be his confidence.

He is like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots beside the stream.

It does not fear the heat or even drought.

Its leaves stay green and its fruit is dependable, no matter what it faces.” (The Voice)

Helen shared Psalm 92:12-15, which precedes Jeremiah, but speaks of the same rooting in the Lord:

"The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him."(ESV)

Tests will come -- it's a given. But you and I have the opportunity to change our perspective about going through them. We can choose to grumble and fight against all that God is teaching us, or we can embrace the winds of change and choose to grow in the Light of the Son, receiving the sweet rain of mercy and grace from Heaven:

“And that’s not all. We also celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer we develop endurance, which shapes our characters. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God’s goodness.” (Romans 5:3-4, The Voice)

In Him,