Fallowing the Soil

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.’ (Hosea 10:12)

Plant the good seeds of righteousness - harvest a crop of love. Back in the day, there was a song whose lyrics purported, "What the world needs now is love, sweet love...", and that may not have been bad advice back then or right now! The world needs to experience the love of Christ - through us. We take an 'active' role in not only accepting the 'good seeds of righteousness' into our lives, but in sharing (sowing) those seeds into the lives of others.

One of the things we need to do within our own lives is allow God's 'plow' to be applied to the 'soil' of our hearts. Fallow ground is hard. It has been left 'untilled' and 'unplanted' for quite some time. Farmers actually allow entire fields to go 'fallow' for a period of time because it helps to restore the nutrients to the soil that the crops can strip out. It is purposefully left to rest and regenerate. We all need the seasons of rest and regeneration, but if we remain 'at rest' for way too long, the soil of our heart becomes hard and sometimes quite impenetrable.

When ground is allowed to 'fallow', the potassium and phosphorus that is deep beneath the surface begins to gradually rise to the surface once again. When we engage in times of rest and regeneration, something from deep within begins to surface again - the very thing that will bring health and vitality. The commission is to 'plow up' the hard soil of our hearts - it has been allowed to fallow long enough. Now is the time to seek the Lord - so his work can be done in this earth.

Some have rested on their laurels, no longer putting forth any effort to grow in Christ, much less reach a lost world for him. Perhaps it is time for the 'plowing' of that soil, my friends. We aren't going to produce anything of value for the Kingdom of God without putting forth the effort to know him better, grow in the knowledge of his Word, and being in service to him. Just sayin!

The treasury of the heart

“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:43-45)

In case you were wondering, figs are not grown on bramble bushes. The fruit we produce is equal to the 'tree' that produces it. Character is a result of what we 'connect' our lives to on an ongoing basis. The fig cannot connect with the bramble bush any more than the thorns of the bramble bush can be produced from the fig tree. The connection wouldn't be consistent with what is being produced. The fruit born actually is a direct reflection of the tree - the nature of the tree produces the fruit. When our 'fruit' is a little bitter, kind of 'pricking' in nature, and lacking in nourishment, we should evaluate where we have made 'connection' in our spirit.

The treasure of a good heart cannot be undervalued. Whatever it is we hide away in our heart, 'bramble bush' or 'luscious fruit', is going to be evident in the 'fruit' of our actions. Our hearts can either connect to the goodness and grace of Jesus, allowing good to flow forth, or they can connect with the values and attitudes of this world, allowing brambles and thorns to be produced. Brambles and thorns hurt others, keeping them away, and discouraging real connection. In other words, they act as a barrier to us having and maintaining close interpersonal relationships with others.

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. The evidence of 'fruit' doesn't always indicate a 'good connection', does it? I live in an area where citrus is grown pretty easily, but we have these trees that look exactly like an orange tree, even producing large, round orange citrus. The only thing about those trees is that the fruit produced is bitter and isn't good for much. The tree 'looks' good, but the fruit betrays its true nature. In much the same way, we might 'look' like we are connected to Jesus, but the 'fruit' of our lives betrays the true nature of our heart's connection. Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is connected to Jesus. Just sayin!

Consistently, or most of the time?

The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity]. (Proverbs 11:30)

The fruit of the 'consistently' righteous - those who make the choice to live 'right', following the directions God gives over their lives. The idea of consistency might just vary a little bit depending on who you ask. To the one who is 'always' on the mark, they will define it as never missing the mark. To the one who occasionally misses the mark, they might define it as making good decisions the majority of the time with a 'once in a while' slip up. I will not debate this with anyone - when God asks for consistency, he means with no or very few exceptions. He forgives those exceptions when we ask for his forgiveness, repent, and actually turn back to him. He would much more prefer that the seeds he sows into our lives would produce 'consistent' growth, but he knows that even the most 'righteous' among us misses the mark on occasion!

When we choose to pursue righteousness, we are not only doing so for ourselves, but for all those around us who 'witness' how it is we choose to live out our daily 'Christianity'. I put that in quotes because so many claim to be Christian, but their life choices certainly don't add up to 'right-living'. Pursue righteousness and you might just be labeled as 'weird', 'out there', 'a holy roller', or even 'a goody two shoes'. I think I have been referred to in all these ways and that is fine by me. Do I 'hit the mark' all of the time? Certainly not! I do want to live in a way that honors the sacrifice Jesus gave so willingly for me. I don't always demonstrate wisdom in my choice of words, actions, or even thoughts, but I know that God's plan is for me to lean into him, be as consistent in my walk as possible, and then trust him to bring about the changes within me that will help me to make wise choices more and more.

Just in case you haven't thought about it in a while, your choice to 'live right' actually is a means of 'evangelizing' the world. Your actions are making an impact on a life right now. Choose to live consistently by asking God to help you make 'right choices'. Then lean into him to help you choose wisely. Don't just ask for his help and then go around doing your own thing. The proof of who we live for is really observed best in the fruit that is produced. Just sayin!

Spreaders of seed

Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God. (Pope Francis)

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will most certainly cause righteousness and justice and praise to spring up before all the nations through the power of His word. (Isaiah 61:11)

I enjoy getting away into the remote regions of our country once in a while. It is a way to just admire what God has created. I can sit for hours watching tiny ants build their colony, birds gather twigs and leaves for their nests, and birds soaring high above on currents of wind. Nature has a way of conveying things about God that can capture an open heart, bringing awe and gratitude for his restorative processes all around us. The leaves fall, but they provide shelter and nourishment even in dying. The clouds scatter across the once blue skies, some filled with hopes of soon coming rains. The seeds fall, becoming nourishment for creatures of all kinds, allowing them to be scattered into places they would not reach otherwise. God has a way of not only renewing this earth, but of restoring it - just like he can do for each of us.

We 'participate' in spreading the hope of his restoration just as the birds and tiniest of creatures do on this earth. We ALL play a part in spreading 'seeds' of grace, hope, trust, and love. In so doing, we are encouraging others to find the hope we have found in God's restorative power. Perhaps one of the greatest 'gifts' we give this earth is the spreading of God's word by living out what his word tells us to do. As we allow his word to transform our lives, we are inevitably becoming 'spreaders of seed'. Seed that will 'spring up' in ways that transforms the lives of others around us. Seeds planted deep within our soul have the potential to bring renewal and restoration when they are not hoarded but allowed to be spread throughout this hurting world. Just sayin!

Closed or Open?

As we have been studying 'seeds' throughout scripture, we cannot neglect the parable of the sower and the seeds. The seed in this parable is clearly defined by Jesus as the Word of God. The importance of receiving and nurturing the seed is emphasized, but also the condition of the 'soil' or heart of the one who receives the 'seed'. 

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)

Receptiveness is a key component in determining if the seed sown will actually come to fruition. A closed heart indicates a closed mind. The more we close ourselves off from receiving God's Word (in all its truth), the more we will squelch growth, being open to all manner of deception. An open heart embraces God's word, not always easily, but willingly.

The more we are 'in' God's word, the more we are likely to be challenged to 'correct' or 'embrace' something. Perhaps this is why so many don't take the time to discover what is within his word - they don't want to change, and they fear what they might be asked to embrace. Our enemy, the devil, works overtime to keep us out of God's word and if he cannot do that, he works overtime to steal away any hope of transformation we may have after reading it.

When we embrace God's word, we are welcoming change. That may frighten some, but truth cannot abide untruth, so God will 'weed out' any lies of the devil we have embraced, replacing them with his truth. Unyielding, unprepared soil might just require a bit more 'tilling' than we'd like. When God sets his sights on the soil of our hearts, what will he find? Just askin...

Active participant?

Growth is a process that cannot be rushed, nor can it be neglected. We manage to do both, don't we? We want growth to be instant. We overlook the 'maintenance' of that growth, wondering why things seem to be 'going south' as it applies to our spiritual health. Seed might sprout where it is planted, but make no mistake about it, growth requires attentiveness.

The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. (Mark 4:26-27)

God is at work even when we don't see him working. We might not comprehend what he is doing, nor are we always 'attentive' to his work within, but when God plants a seed, he sends the Holy Spirit to tend its growth. We don't have to understand the growth process as much as we need to participate in it as it is occurring. Seed gets sown, but growth comes in its own time. We cannot rush it, although we can anticipate it. There is something transformative when we know God goes to work 'sowing' seed into our lives. We actually begin to look for evidence of what is about to come forth, don't we? Sometimes God asks very little in the way of our 'effort' when it comes to that growth, while he may ask for extreme attentiveness at others.

Just as seed in our garden requires little attention when sown into prepared soil, our prepared hearts may not seem to need much 'tending' until we begin to see the tiniest of growth emerging. That is where we find ourselves 'watching over' with extreme attentiveness the tiny seed of faith that is emerging. Why? Just as in our garden, if we want full development of that 'seed faith', the emerging 'plant' must be protected, nurtured, and encouraged to grow. We might not realize the importance of taking in his word on a very consistent basis, nor do we always understand the power unlocked when we worship and pray, but it is our part in seeing the 'seed' through to 'full growth' and fruit-bearing. We don't have to understand the 'growth process', but we do need to ACTIVELY participate in it. Just sayin!

Harvest made possible by...

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. (2 Corinthians 9:10)

As we have been exploring 'seeds' throughout the past several days, let us not forget what God says about the provider of the seed - it comes from him, all of it, no exceptions. The farmer sows the seed, but he didn't create what he sows. The provision God makes in our lives each and every day should never be taken lightly. He is the one who provides all the 'resources' we need - physical, spiritual, relational. We only need to receive what he provides, then put it into good use.

It is a hard thing to trust God sometimes, especially when we don't see the immediate 'provision' of whatever it is we need, isn't it? We get a little too focused on the need for the 'seed' and forget that much preparation must go into the soil before it is ever ready to receive the 'provision'. As soon as we receive the seed, we are to sow it into the prepared soil. We are to sow it not so much for our benefit, but for the benefit of others, allowing what God has provided so richly for us to become a blessing to others, as well.

Invest the seed God provides wisely and it is sure to return ten, twenty, or even a hundred-fold. Kindness might not seem like a popular seed being sown at times, but when we sow seeds of kindness into the lives of others, it impacts the world in a huge way. How? Because God promises over and over again to increase the harvest! A tiny seed of kindness can provide a huge harvest when God is overseeing the development of that seed and the harvest that is about to come. Be generous in your acts of kindness and see what God can do when we are faithful to sow the seeds he gives.

No matter how small the seed, the harvest can be plentiful when God is the one who is doing the multiplication! Just sayin!

A seed alone

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. (John 12:24-26)

A kernel of wheat is planted and dies. That doesn't actually present a picture of a bountiful harvest, does it? Or maybe it does, because in dying, the seed actually brings forth an abundance of wheat. We might interpret this passage as a 'dud' seed being planted that really doesn't do what it is supposed to do, but Jesus makes it clear that in dying, the seed actually becomes 'fruitful'. There is much to be said about sacrificially laying down one's life for the betterment of another, but there was no greater 'fruitful' action than that of Jesus' death. Something we might not think about too often is just how willing we might be to actually let go of what we desire in order to see a greater purpose fulfilled through our lives.

Whenever we surrender our 'old selves' to the work of Christ within us, we are actually allowing 'old seed' to die off and new seed to take its place. We are embracing change when we embrace his 'seed' of new life. Death doesn't have to be an end; it can be a new beginning. As his life is embraced, our old ways of thinking and acting begin to change - the new beginning. Jesus spoke of service right along with this new seed being planted. The fruitfulness within our lives is frequently best seen when we are in service to others. You see, Christ wasn't afraid to call out his disciples, pointing out that if they wanted to truly follow him, they would be willing to lay down this world's agenda and take up his.

Something we might miss in this passage is the fact that one seed can 'remain alone'. It is a choice to surrender to the process of growth and fruitfulness. We can choose to remain inwardly focused, always attending to our own needs and desires, or we can look outward, observing the needs of those around us, and lay down our selfish passion to focus on self alone. When we do, we begin to see the fruit of his work within us ministering to the needs of others, bringing hope, joy, compassion, and love where it is most desperately needed. Just sayin!

Impossible, meet your better

“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:20)

Have you ever tried to move a mountain? I have moved sheds, piles of gravel, stones, and the like, but never a mountain! I have moved wheelbarrows full of dirt, filling flower beds and the like, but never the entire mountain - not even a hill! There is something here Jesus wants us to understand: Faith isn't measured as we measure things. It is measured in the hands of God because only he sees the full potential in that small seed of faith.

What insurmountable thing or looming challenge do you have over your head right now? Are you trusting God with it? Have you given him the 'little faith' you have, trusting him to show you the full potential wrapped up in that 'tiny seed' of faith you bring to him? Trusting God with what we don't understand or have the ability to face alone isn't foolishness - it is the wisest and most 'sane' thing an individual can do!

Faith must be cultivated, but have we stopped to consider it could just be the insurmountable or most challenging things that cause that 'tiny seed' to produce the biggest growth? The 'size' of our faith doesn't determine the 'potential' of our faith. That can be a hard one to swallow sometimes because we imagine ourselves too weak or overwhelmed to face the challenge. The truth is, we probably are, but we don't face that challenge in with our own potential - we face it with HIS!

Remember - it isn't about the 'size' of our faith. Great or small, it is all the same to God. It is about the OBJECT of our faith. If we have faith in only what we can see, understand, or do on our own, we will surely be overwhelmed by the issue at hand. If we have faith in HIM, we are unleashing a power that cannot be contained, limited, or resisted. Just sayin!

A transformative process in the works

When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. (I Corinthians 15:36-38)

A seed must undergo a transformation before it ever can bear fruit. It goes into the ground, but it is still not a plant capable of fruit-bearing. Until the transformation occurs that reveals roots, stem, branches, and eventually buds occur there is no real 'hope' for fruit. The seed is merely a promise of what is about to come, but if you are anything like me, your garden seeds don't always seem to sprout, much less produce! The seed 'exists' - under the soil. It just never sprouted. There is probably a whole lot of seed in our lives that 'exists' but never sprouts. We might not realize how much seed is actually 'wasted' just beneath the surface until the soil of our heart is dug up, turning over the seed. Once the seed has been planted, the promise is for a new beginning, but both the soil and the seed must work in unison toward that new beginning!

There is a hope that lies deep within our hearts - the hope of what we might call 'spiritual growth'. We count on the seed God plants within our hearts to go through a transformation, in turn transforming us. Whenever we take in God's word, we are likely having tiny seeds of faith planted. In time, those seeds begin to transform, as does our inner character. The change begins the moment the seed is placed - the evidence of the change may take a bit longer, though! Whenever we embrace the seed of God's word, we are welcoming transformation, but is the transformation process always comfortable? No! Not at all. There is a whole lot of 'work' going on within our hearts that will eventually bring about evidence of growth and hope of fruit, so we 'endure' the work that is taking place 'beneath the surface'.

God actually gives the 'seed' all it needs for growth. What looks like a 'bare seed' might not reveal the full potential of the seed at first, but as God gives it all it needs to grow, the 'new body' of that seed brings evidence of the fullness of what it will produce. Just sayin!

A little acid might just do the trick

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8)

We've discussed many times how actions have consequences. We reap one seed and expect some other harvest to come from it. That's just plain silly - a seed is meant to reproduce, but of its 'own kind'. For this very reason, we need to be mindful of the seed we sow. Soil matters, too, for bad soil with good seed is just 'wasted seed'. Good soil and good seed have the potential to produce a 'bumper crop', especially when both are in the hands of God. There are some 'practices' we engage in over and over again that consistently produce good harvests. Things like taking time in his word, worshipping him, and sharing life with others in the faith are never wasted 'seed'. They also serve to keep the 'soil' of our hearts in tip-top condition.

It is never 'fruitless' to engage in activities that help us to grow or that create an environment that actually assists others to grow. We cannot overestimate the value of what we could label as 'spiritual actions' that God commands us to take. In other words, when God says something, we are to act upon it because those actions either prepare the soil or they are the seed that will produce much fruit within our lives. The more we resist these 'actions', the poorer the condition of our heart's soil will become. I live in Arizona and the caliche soil here makes it very difficult to plant fruit-bearing plants or trees. The soil has to go through a lot of 'amendment' or 'conditioning' before it is ready for the plant. In much the same way, the soil of our heart needs 'amending' or 'conditioning' in order to receive the seed.

The 'calcium carbonate' in our soil here actually a good thing in small quantities. It is the effect it has on the silt, sand, gravel and clay in our soil that isn't all that good. It actually works to 'bind' all those together, making the soil rather 'solid' and impenetrable. We have to acidify the soil, add things like mulch, and then work to break it up in order to plant things. Sometimes there is a little 'acid' needed in order to break up the hardness of our heart's soil. Don't be surprised when God goes after 'solidified' areas of your heart - he is doing it because the seed stands no chance until he does! Just sayin...

A mighty oak in the making

 From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow. (Aeschylus)

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. (Proverbs 11:30) 

We may not realize the 'value' inherent within a single seed, but when we consider all the lives that may be touched by that which is 'born' of the seed, we might just plant a few more seeds! Whether the seed produces nourishment for our bodies, shelter for our heads, or encouragement for our spirit, seeds are never without a purpose - to reproduce. The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life - how many of those seeds will you plant this year? Gardners and farmers alike will tell us the 'value' inherent within the seed requires more than a casual 'flinging' of the seed. There is much purpose behind the simplest of planting.

We each have been given 'seed' to plant, but sometimes we find the preparation takes longer than the planting. Once planted, we might get a little discouraged by the time it takes to 'germinate'. After we finally see some evidence of growth, we might even become weary awaiting the arrival of the fruit that seed will produce. A mighty oak isn't actually 'mighty' until many, many years into its growth cycle, my friends. If we got weary waiting for its growth, wouldn't it be silly to pluck it up from the ground just because its boughs are not great enough to provide us shade or shelter? We'd nurture it, ensuring it has all that was needed for continued growth. We'd plan for the future of that seed, not only the present 'form' of that seed's growth.

In much the same way, God asks us not to become impatient with the seed growing within us right now. It has been planted, is being nourished, and might even be showing signs of life, but if we allow it to be plucked up by the distractions of this world, we will miss the fruit that it will produce. Seeds are meant to be 'encouraged' to full growth. They must be planted in prepared soil - so don't resist the 'soil tending' of the Holy Spirit within. They must be placed in just the right location - too much heat will rob them of their growth, but just enough will coax the potential within that seed to send shoots to the surface where it can become all that God intends. You never know when the seed planted is the one about to become that mighty oak tree. Just sayin!

Sowing in Drought?

Lord, change our circumstances for the better, like dry streams in the desert waste! Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts. Let those who go out, crying and carrying their seed, come home with joyful shouts, carrying bales of grain! (Psalm 126:4-6)

Most of us would think of a "circumstance" as something that at least modifies or perhaps influences what will happen in the end - what the outcome of a particular situation or occurrence will be. When we have the right one in charge of the "circumstances", there is no "modifier" beyond our ability or capability! Do you know what a drought is? In the simplest sense, it is a period of "extreme dryness". Most "dry spells" are not a matter of our doing. They are "circumstances" beyond our control - because none of us controls the weather. In the times of spiritual "dryness" there is much at work attempting to modify our responses in life - perhaps even shaping our outcome, as a result. In the time of spiritual dryness we have a couple of options: 1) Scheme our way through it, figuring and recalculating a way to bring life back ourselves; 2) Bolt, looking for refreshment in any other place than where we are at; or 3) Hunker down, trusting God for the refreshing rains that are just around the corner. I don't know about you, but I don't want the circumstances to modify my life by driving me away from what God will do "in" them! I want God to drive me "into" the circumstances deep enough to allow HIM to modify me, not just the circumstances! We oftentimes pray for the circumstance to be 'modified', but the real modification needs to come within US.

It is indeed God who changes our circumstances for the better. I have come to recognize that God often changes US before he changes our circumstances. In respect to the "modifying" of circumstances - it is really not the circumstances that truly "modify" us, but finding God in the midst of them does! David points out a couple of character traits of one who is not modified by the circumstances, but is met in the midst of the circumstances by the "Modifier" of our hearts. First, they are not just hunkered down, hoping for the best, trembling in the trenches of life. They are planting, carrying seed, going about their regular tasks. They don't cease to do what they know to do! Too many times, we face circumstances which seem beyond our control with the attitude of just standing still - there we are, standing there, not even doing what we know to do. God's advice to us - do what you can, then let him take care of the rest. If I am capable of putting my hand to the plow, I need to plow. If I have seed, I need to sow it. The principle is quite plain here - do what we know to do, then trust God!

We also need to be honest with and about our emotions. Most don't plant with tears, but it may be these very tears that are the first "moisture" to touch those tiny seeds. Did you ever stop to consider the tears you shed as being the very thing that waters the very tiny seed you are planting? It may not be a significant amount of moisture to you, but perhaps it is enough to begin to breakdown the tough outer coating of the seed and cause it to begin to germinate! I don't think God ever expects us to mask our emotions - if we are honest with him in our emotions, he can deal with them! Those who 'go out' will return. Their return is not empty-handed, but with much more than they ever imagined. This is the principle of sowing and reaping. In due season, there is a harvest. When we trust God with our "circumstances", we also trust him with the "outcome" (and the "INcome"). It was not the circumstances that modified us - it was the great "MODIFIER" of the circumstances that brought forth the modification that was most needed. The harvest may not have been possible without us first going out - doing what we knew to do. The seed spread in drought is there when the rains come. Think about it - if the seed is never planted, no amount of rain will produce a crop! Instead of allowing the circumstances to modify us, allow the modifying to come from the one who hold the circumstances squarely in his hand! Just sayin!

Be careful with those weeds

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

I look at my garden at times and wonder where all the weeds come from. It isn't as though I plant those seeds. I don't even encourage them to find their way into my yard, much less take root in my soil. Have you ever stopped to consider the 'value' of a weed? I found out many are edible and you may have actually find you have even eaten some this very week! We probably all know dandelion leaves are edible, but how many of us have gnoshed on them? Watercress grows at the creek bed and was often a delicacy my dad would delight in on a hot summer's day of fishing. Lamb's quarter is a common weed in many gardens and we probably pluck it up, casting it aside in the rubbish bin. Yet, it is purported to have a taste similar to spinach and is even healthier for you! Not all weeds are bad - just as not all people are bad because of their labels!

“God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree big enough for the birds to come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)

From the tiniest of seeds come some of the greatest virtues. Moral excellence doesn't spring up because it is the most aggressive seed in the garden of our souls. It springs forth because the conditions are right for it to grow! Weeds might seem like they have no 'excellence', but we can disprove that theory! What seems like the most unlikely character trait for God to use might just actually prove as a worthy thing in his hands. Don't discount the potential he sees in that tiny seed within you - he hasn't! Plantain is a weed, yet the nutritional value of the leaves of this common weed are astronomical. Not every weed is worthless - sometimes we just have to look deeper to see the value contained within. Yet, too many weeds in our garden can actually become a hazard to the garden growth. Why? The weeds give safe haven to destructive insects! Weeds may be fine in some cases, but if we allow an overgrowth, we may not be able to preserve the 'virtue' of the rest of the garden!

Did you ever stop to consider that weed seeds exist in every square inch of your garden, but it is those that are in the top one to two inches of the garden that spring up? Turning the soil of your garden doesn't ensure there will be no other weeds that spring forth! It might actually serve to give the buried seeds enough of what they need to grow! Maybe this is why God asks us to allow him to tend the gardens of our souls - turning over time and time again the soil of our souls so that every weed seed has an opportunity to be exposed. Those that won't harm us, he might allow to grow so they add something of excellence to our gardens. Those that will soon harbor unwelcome inhabitants he will encourage us to actively 'weed out' because he is fully aware of how damaging their presence can be. We don't always know what a seed will produce. Stop for a moment to consider the mustard seed. It is actually a weed! I would find it hard to enjoy a hot dog fresh off the grill on a summer's eve without the rich yellow condiment, though! It lends flavor to the dog, doesn't it? It adorns it with contrasting color and it awakens the taste buds as you take it in.

The seed may not always produce good things, but in the hands of Jesus each seed has the potential of being either cultivated or weeded out appropriately. Sometimes I think we are too quick to discount the value of the 'growth' that springs forth just because we didn't see the seed planted! Just sayin!

Seed packets

A seed only does what it was intended to do when it is planted! In the package, it is just a nice thing (kind of like all the religious rules). Once in the ground, tended appropriately, the seed yields something beyond its original form. That is true of each of us as we become related to Christ. We take a new form - exponentially yielding fruit in season. That is what it is to be in relationship with Jesus - we become the evidence of what is "in" the package! That was what Lazarus was that day so long ago - an evidence of what had filled his heart! 

Word got out among the Jews that he was back in town. The people came to take a look, not only at Jesus but also at Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead. So the high priests plotted to kill Lazarus because so many of the Jews were going over and believing in Jesus on account of him.
(John 12:9-11)

Lazarus became a living testimony of the power and deliverance of God when his life was raised. He became a "threat" to religion that day! The Jewish high priests were actually resisting his testimony because it was causing people to leave the "comfort" of religious pursuit of God to experience the dynamic of relationship with God. The fact of the matter is that God uses people to do the work of bearing testimony to his deliverance! We are never a threat to "religion" when we are just living in the status quo. As soon as we "cross the line" into a real and vital relationship with Jesus, guess what....we become a "threat". For the sake of clarity, let me just say that when I refer to "religion", I am referring to the rote, mundane, going to church kind of ritual that never really allows a man's heart to change or his life to be a testimony of God's power. When I speak of relationship, I am speaking of that life that exudes the power of God for others to behold.

The Jewish high priests were threatened because their "followers" are "converting"! They wanted reality in their lives - they wanted to experience some of the "vitality" they saw in Lazarus that day. All the Jewish leaders could offer the crowds was a set of religious rules - a set of standards they wer to live by - but the connection of the "rule" with the "ruler" was never really made! By definition, relationship is a "connection". What Lazarus showed the people was the intimacy of "connection" with Jesus. Connection implies involvement. When we move away from the ritual keeping of rules, we move into a place where God becomes involved in our lives and we become involved in his work. There is a relationship between connection and power. Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus - spoke the words to come forth - embraced him as he did - and Lazarus maintained that connection by being with Jesus as a living testimony of his power and grace. That is how it is with Jesus - he wants us to be connected to him.

Why is relationship a threat to religion? It is simple really...relationship makes the "connection" that rules never will. As a matter of fact, when all we are focused on is the "rules" we have to keep or never break, we often lack any incentive to pursue the relationship! Think about it. When you are so intent on not breaking the rules - like when you see those signs posted that remind you that there are workers on the roadway and that the fines for speeding are doubled in that area - don't you slow down just a little bit as you see the patrol car on the side of the road? You become "intentional" about the rules and all the other stuff that you were focusing on takes backseat! That is why the Jewish leaders had such a hard time with Jesus - they saw people moving away from the ritual, mundane way of "worship" and this was a threat to their existence! I don't know about you, but I want to be a threat to religion! I want to be a living testimony of relationship, not a dead-weight of religion. Belief is never a matter of having "seen" something - all the miraculous signs were evident to both the religious leaders and the ones following Jesus. The "signs" never convince the mind - they affect the heart! Belief often requires a testimony - like when you buy a package of seeds at the home store. That package of seeds has a photo (a sign) of a fully grown plant, bearing much fruit. Until that package is opened, the seeds planted, and care taken to tend that seed, the evidence of what is in the package is never fully understood. Just sayin!

Seeds - we need two types

What kind of seeds do you have planted? It is just about the time of year when folks begin to start their seedlings under grow lights in some protected environment, readying the starter plants for the spring planting season. Various vegetables and herbs will begin their growth - seeds sprouting under the watchful care of those who desire those gardens to flourish this coming growing season. The truth of the matter is that the gardener does not just plant any old type of seed - he plants corn seeds if he wants corn, eggplant if he desires that growth, and flower seeds if he wants to adorn the garden with some manner of color to attract the pollinating insects. It would be insane to think he could just plant one type of seed and expect all kinds of harvest of different produce! His harvest will depend on the seeds - not just that something was planted!

Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. (Psalm 97:11)

Light seeds and joy seeds - two types of seeds that produce a little bit of a different harvest in the heart and soul soil of each of us. I am a little bit more concerned with the light seed first - because when the soul has been cultivated with the right seed, the heart will be receptive to the seeds of joy that soon get cultivated deep within your heart. Light seeds might just be likened to the seeds that produce the types of growth that yield a harvest of fruit - like the gardener's planting of the corn and eggplant seeds. The joy seeds are maybe just a little bit more like the flower seeds he plants. One produces things that change us from the inside out. The other bring what is on the inside and put it on beautiful display for others to see.

The soul isn't always the most receptive of soil, though. If you have ever tried to grow much in this desert soil in Arizona, you will realize quickly that the alkaline content of the soil limits the growth. There is much work that must be done to neutralize and bring a balance to the soil so it will produce. Much in the same way, the soul soil within our lives needs a lot of cultivating in order to be readied to receive the light seed. There are stones to be removed and soil to be turned so it is can absorb the nutrients that will be added. The nutrients added, it must be watered and maintained. The soil is not receptive to the seed until it is readied. The soul is not receptive to light until it has realized the darkness cannot produce the goodness it desires!

There is something I have realized about the 'light seed' God plants. It doesn't take much 'soul soil' to allow it to begin to grow. The smallest amount of soul soil can begin to allow the growth of the light. Once there is light seed planted, the condition of the soul soil begins to change and as it does, the soil of our soul becomes more and more receptive to receiving more and more of the light seed. We may not realize the bounty of the harvest until we begin to see the second type of seed taking root deep within our hearts, though. For the joy seed begins to permeate the ground of our hearts and as it does, we begin to give evidence of the work being done within us by the light seed. As the blooms of the flower plant begin to attract the 'pollinators', the blooms of joy begin to attract the things within our lives that will help us to grow even stronger in the goodness and grace of God. 

We need both seeds - light and joy. We need to remember they work on different soil patches within our lives - one the soul, the other the heart. Both need to be cultivated - both yield a unique harvest. One might flourish within, the other gives evidence that there is growth taking place! Just sayin!

Hope is a seed

I watched an episode of "The Good Doctor" last evening and the story depicted a mother whose statement really caught my attention. She had a son with a heart disorder, requiring a major surgery to correct all the defects. As the doctors examined and re-examined this boy, their decision was that he was beyond the help of the surgeons - his defects were too serious. They were ready to prescribe some pills and send him home. The mother's determination on behalf of her son is not unique to this mother - for she was like a dog with a bone - determined to have these doctors do something for her son and not just write him off. In one of those tense moments when the doctors stood before her saying they had no plans of doing the surgery, she says something along the line that she doesn't have much at home - she is poor from a wealth perspective; she doesn't have any type of fall-back - for this is her only alternative. The one thing she has is hope - the simple hope of a mother trusting that these doctors will be able to save her son. It was Tertullian who said that hope is patience with the lamp lit. This mother was being very patient with a group of young doctors, all intent on telling her that she had no reason to hope. Her lamp would not be put out, though!

Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.  (Isaiah 26:4)

There is much to be said about faith, but the greatest part of faith is hope - hope begins in the heart and it convinces the entire body and mind to follow suite. This mother wouldn't be dissuaded from her hope, for her intense love toward her son would keep that faith alive. She held on, encouraging his heart to beat - intent on seeing this little life made totally whole and fully alive through the interventions of these doctors - he last hope. None of us wants to be at the place of our 'last hope', because when hope is gone, so is our faith. Faith isn't kept alive within us because of what any man may do for us, but really because of what God can orchestrate through man on our behalf! Let that one sink in a little. God uses others to build upon and answer the longings of our hope - our faith. He isn't asking for us to trust man for the answer, but to trust him to bring the answer to us, sometimes through man and sometimes just simply by some miracle we don't fully understand. As our passage implies, dependence is a continual effort - it cannot be bypassed, nor dissuaded. We must depend like our life depends upon our dependence - because it does!

Tertullian also observed that the martyred saints of the early church - men, women, and children murdered at the hands of the Roman soldiers - had one common trait of intense faith in the God they served. Yes, they died at the hands of the Romans, but as Tertullian quickly pointed out, their blood was actually "seed" that brought forth an even stronger church! The bloodshed should have ended the growth of the faith people were placing in Christ, but instead, it acted as seed to bring forth even more hope, faith, and growth! That is the thing with faith - it isn't going to stop with us. It will multiply in the lives of those around us - because it is a 'seed'. As Christ said, it doesn't have to be a huge seed - even the tiniest hope is enough to see his hand moved in our lives. We might not think we are holding onto much at this very moment, but if we have at least a 'seed' of hope, that is sufficient in the hands of our God. Just sayin!

Get some "pre-emergent"

Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8 MSG)

Pearl Buck said, "Love dies only when growth stops." The growth one realizes in life is in direct proportion to the seeds planted. If the seeds are planted in response to God's leading, the harvest will indeed be worthy of all the time and effort put into it. We all "plant" in "response" to something - whatever it is we respond to, let it be that which produces only the best harvest!

We can tell a lot about who or what we are responding to in life by the harvest we realize from those seeds planted. The right seeds will yield things like growing, solid relationships; creative change that moves us away from something undesirable and toward that which builds us up. The wrong seeds will produce such things as anger, bitterness, mistrust, and even growing lust for the wrong stuff in life.

We might think it begins with the seed planted, but in reality it begins with the response we have toward either self or God. We deny self the right to choose the seed and we respond to the tug of God's Spirit as we plant. Will our lives be "weed free"? Probably not totally, because there is always "transference" of some of the "weed seeds" from others in life. 

I have a lawn that isn't actually "weed free". I do my best to not allow those seeds to take root, but honestly, I don't see the seeds until they have! It is kind of like that in our lives sometimes - we just don't realize what we have allowed to take root until we see something growing out of those seeds! We get weeds, not because we actively planted them, but because they were transferred into our lives through the actions of others. 

The way to deal with those "transferred" seeds is to have a diligent eye to spot the growth of those weeds when they are really small! There is one step even better - use some "pre-emergent". Several times a year, I put a pre-emergent on my lawn. Why? Even if the seeds get planted, it will continue to work to not allow them to grow into fully formed weeds capable of making more seed!

Pre-emergent might be hiding the Word of God in our hearts, so when untruth comes knocking, we don't welcome it in. It may take the form of spending regular and consistent time with others who challenge you to grow in the right ways in life. It could also be the times we just get quiet long enough to have God help us take notice of the things trying to "transfer" into our lives - either in thought, word, or deed. 

It isn't that we "get weeds" from good seed. We get weeds because we don't respond to them or their seeds when they are first trying to emerge! Just sayin!

Clearing the land

When I first moved to my neighborhood about 26 years ago, I was surrounded by cotton fields on the north and south sides of the subdivision, equestrian property to the east, and a newer subdivision to the west.  Today, I am surrounded by all manner of growth, from houses to shopping centers and even a new fire department building.  The last of the open lots has just been subdivided and it will soon be occupied by shiny new houses.  As they were plowing up the land around me in various phases of development, one of the things I noticed was the increase in ants, those really big and hairy spiders, cockroaches (those big ones which come out of the storm drains), and even a few rodents here and there.  Field mice were almost never seen in the housing area, but they had no where to go but find a new home while all that heavy equipment plowed up their happy haunts.  Unplowed fields have a tendency to be the gathering places for all manner of disease-carrying, rather obnoxious things.  Even the "fields" of our lives which remain unplowed for a long period of time have a tendency to become the dwelling places for some pretty "foul" stuff!

Your fields have not been plowed. Plow those fields! Don’t plant seeds among the thorns. Become the Lord’s people. Change your hearts. (Jeremiah 4:3-4 ERV)

Dormant land becomes the home of those things which like to hang out, but aren't really welcome too many other places.  The ants like to make their homes there because they face too many pesticides and "anti-ant" activity everywhere else.  The field mice like to dwell in the high weeds of the field because they have little hiding places to escape their natural predators and still make a home for their young.  The other bugs and crawly things like it, too, because that which falls to the ground and is just left to rot becomes both safe haven and food for their livelihood.  Things which like "hang out" are not always the best for us, though.  We put out ant traps and lay down "anti-ant" crystals because we don't like their bites, nor their invading lines of hungry hoarders.  We set mouse traps to bate the unsuspecting field mice because we know they carry disease and will tear apart our attic spaces in short order.  It goes without saying that if they had not been left to their own devices for so long, there wouldn't have been so many of them!

The "un-kept" or "un-watched" or even "un-observed" things in our lives are like the dormant, unplowed fields.  They make good places for the over-growth of things we don't really like, definitely don't want, and which will give us all manner of grief until we are rid of them!  Too many times we wait until there is such a huge amount of "ugliness" in those "fields" that we are almost forced to finally plow down some of the "weeds" which give a safe-haven to the "under-growth" below.  The problem with just cutting down the weeds is that the seeds of those weeds are just scattered!  We get another good crop of weeds in rather short order and before long, we are right back where we started.  Unplowed fields are only dealt with once and for all when they are plowed into fertile soil again, free of the weeds, driven clean of the pesky "under-growth" below!

Too many times we attempt to plant good seed among the "thorns" of our lives. We somehow think the good stuff will grow up and over-take the "not so good stuff" which has inhabited that space for a really, really long time.  The truth is quite evident - that which is "native" to the land is more likely to survive!  The thorns will win out unless they are weeded out first.  You don't plant good seed among thorns - you deal with the thorns and prepare the soil - then you plant the seed.  We all are subject to the desire to take short-cuts once in a while, aren't we?  We want the easy way out - the quickest route to whatever it is we are hoping for.  So, we might cut a few corners here and there when it comes to dealing with life-dominating patterns which are not good for us - but in the end, the outcome will be a little good stuff springing up in the midst of a whole lot of thorns, field mice, ants, crawly things, and the like!

The field takes on a whole different purpose (and "resident") when it is prepared well for that which will be sown into the soil.  The former "residents" have to be evicted and dealt with (eradicated) in order for the new to take up "residence". The only way to live differently is to have a change of heart.  Too many times we think of this as a change of mind - we will just "will ourselves" to be or do better.  How's that been working for the rest of you?  If you are like me, it hasn't!  The truth is our minds are not what controls our every action - we have this plethora of emotions and then our own selfish will to deal with in the mix. Until we allow the "plow" of God's Spirit to work out the "unwelcome residents" of our hearts, we won't be sowing seeds in "thorn-free" territory!  The worries will return, the beasts of that field will soon re-inhabit that place, and what's worse - they bring friends!

God's plan is simple - come to him and allow him to change the heart.  In so doing, the weeds will be removed, the pesky and crawly things will be trapped for good, and the "soil" of our hearts will be opened to new growth - fruitful growth.  Just sayin!

Wild Oats! Oh my!

You are probably familiar with the term of sowing one's wild oats, but do we just do this in our youth?  Although this term has some differing meanings, in the most literal sense this idiom carries the idea of doing something wild and foolish - so I guess we could all probably answer this question with a resounding "NO"!  We find ourselves doing a good many foolish things in our older age, don't we?  What about the last time you said something you regretted, or acted a little too hasty, making bad decisions along the way?  Wasn't this acting foolishly?  What is the one thing we hope will happen whenever we have done something so foolish and silly?  Isn't it that God will forget all about it?  Or perhaps that the consequences of our actions will not find us out!  Either way, we know what we have done has been both misdirected and silly - all we want is to be "square" again with God, the others in our lives, and our own conscience!

God is fair and just; he corrects the misdirected, sends them in the right direction.  He gives the rejects his hand, and leads them step-by-step.  From now on every road you travel will take you to God.  Follow the Covenant signs; read the charted directions.  (Psalm 25:8-10 MSG)

At the moment we "throw our lot in" with God, we can hold our heads high. There is no need to be skulking around, shame-filled and head low.  In fact, God tells us to lift our heads - to be unafraid to enter his courts and to come boldly into his presence.  When we become "schooled" in God's ways, we begin to understand the completeness of God's grace - it goes beyond our surface need to the very core of our most intimate need - to no longer feel the shame over our foolish deeds.  To be schooled in God's ways is to come into a place of understanding how he works - the consistency of his actions, reliability of his presence, and unyielding attentiveness to our needs.

Wild oats are simply seeds which when planted will bring forth a crop we don't want to really find in our fields.  It really doesn't have much usefulness - in fact, it kind of messes up the purity of what should be harvested from the field in the first place.  Wild oats are really a form of "grass" which springs up in the fields of cereal grains and referred to as "nuisance grains" by those who plant the cereal grains.  Probably the most aggravating issue with wild oats is the length of time their seeds can actually lie dormant in the ground.  Did you know wild oats (these nuisance grasses) can lay around for about ten years and still have the ability to spring up when the conditions are right?  Sound a little like some of the troublesome areas in our own lives?  We think we don't see evidence of any "nuisance" crops, but then all of a sudden, up it springs!

No wonder we sometimes feel like we cannot break free of things which we thought we let go of a long time ago - things we label as foolish!  We probably have a few of those dormant seeds just hanging around looking for the right opportunity to spring up!  Farmers who deal with these "nuisance" grasses know the only way to get rid of them is with a very strong chemical herbicide.  The issue with the chemical is the destruction it causes to the good stuff growing in the fields.  So, most farmers don't specifically attack the wild oats, but just filter them out when they begin to harvest the crop.  I think God has a different means of getting rid of the wild oats in our lives, though.  He knows how to find those seeds, ridding our "soil" of their potential destructive influence, and plucking up the odd one which might spring forth.  

The psalmist reminds us to mark the milestones of God's mercies and his grace - why?  I think it may have something to do with God's ability to find these seeds and to ensure they don't take over the good stuff he is growing within us.  As our passage points out, he is able to redirect the misdirected, making sure their path is one which will bring forth the best crop possible. How does he accomplish this?  By taking each of us by the hand and ensuring our steps are ordered.  God knows the difference between the good "oat" seed and the wild "seed".  He knows how to ferret out the two, allowing only the good to take root and the wild to be exposed, dealt with, and no longer in contact with the soil of our hearts.

We may have a few "errant" seeds left around in our lives - those we might call "wild".  God knows exactly where each of these are and he knows exactly how each of these "errant" seeds might just produce something we'd probably rather not like to deal with.  So, he works to remove them before they have the ability to grow into fully formed "nuisances" in our lives!  Just sayin!