The View from My Window: Message in the Garden

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” Luke 8:5-8

We have a little oval patch of garden out in the middle of our front lawn. I was out cleaning it up the other day when God spoke this mini-message to my heart, complete with 3 points, just like they teach in Bible school.

1. Pliable Soil
   1. The majority of the ground around our home is very rocky, it makes planting or digging things out very difficult! However, the soil in this patch of ground seemed like it had been prepared just for the purpose of this little garden. The soil was soft and easy to deal with. Removing weeds or digging up plants was so much easier.
      1. Just like in the story of the sower that Jesus shared in Luke 8:5-8, the soil represents our hearts.
      2. When we draw close to Him and allow Him to work in us, we grow. We also touch the lives of those around us for His glory.
2. Pulling out the Weeds
   1. In this instance, I sensed that the weeds represented the lies that the enemy has caused us to believe about ourselves or our situation.
   2. In my garden, I noticed that the weeds that had grown together (entangled) were difficult to remove if I tried to remove the whole group at one time. However, if I separated them, they came out fairly easy.
      1. When we look at what we have come to believe to be true, it can seem overwhelming. We wonder if we will ever be able to overcome or walk in who we are in Christ.
      2. If we ask the Lord to reveal to us the truth and break the lies one by one, we can begin to walk in wholeness – one step at a time!
3. Growing a Strong “Garden”
   1. I noticed that the plants whose roots were intertwined were harder to dislodge.
   2. The Bible tells us that a three strand cord is not easily broken. (Eccl 4:12)
   3. The enemy knows that as well, that is why he tries to gain a foothold by bringing disunity to the Body of Christ and we help make his job so easy!
   4. It is so important to guard your heart. Believe the best of others. Strive to be in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Does that mean you have to believe exactly the same thing? Of course not. It does mean that we should be quick to forgive and slow to anger.

My challenge today is to examine the garden of your heart. Are you pliable before God or are you digging in your heels while singing, “Thou Shalt Not be Moved!” Have you given up because the lies have become entangled and seem overwhelming? Are you growing a strong garden or have you allowed disappointments and hurts to separate you from other believers?

God has so much in store for you. You were created for His glory. Come before the master gardener today and allow Him to prune you for His purpose.

Heavenly Father, We come to you today and ask that you cause the ground of our heart to be pliable. We give you our thoughts and belief systems and ask that you would break apart the lies and begin to show us your truth. Help us to walk in that truth and break any strongholds that have tried to take root. Let us be a strong body of believers rooted and grounded in you. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.