* Is There a Storm Brewing?

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.

Psalm 139:23-24

Why is it when our lives get busy, our time with the Lord is the first thing to go? Why is it that we believe the lie that our time with God is on a flex schedule - that it's optional in maintaining our faith? I've talked with so many people lately who all have said basically the same thing in one form or another. "My life is falling apart, and I just don't have enough time or energy to read my Bible" but they want to tell me about the latest episode of their favorite reality show, or how they got on Facebook last night and before they knew it, they'd been there for over 2 hours. "Oh, I'll catch up on Saturday." In between the laundry and the kids and the grocery store? Right...

"I've got to have my head on straight before I can spend any quality time with the Lord."  Let me give you a hint, satan will do his best to make sure our heads are never on straight. 

"Well, when my schedule calms down a little bit..." 
"When I get through soccer season (or softball or football or dance or...)" 
"Oh, I talk to God right before I go to sleep..." 

Do we even stay awake long enough to catch His reply?

Here in Texas, it gets really hot. And when it does, we have to water outside in order to not lose the good stuff. The weeds? They won't die out through drought or anything else. I have to deliberately kill them or pluck them out. And that can be difficult. Sometimes, though, a good storm will really help us out. It waters the good stuff and loosens the choke hold so the weeds can be easily pulled out and disposed of.

What's that got to do with spending time in the Word? Well, it's similar to when we're not cleansing our lives by the washing of the water by the Word, and we start to dry up. The good stuff is not getting watered and it will wither and die. However, just like in the natural realm, left unattended the garden of your soul will be taken over by the weeds that will eventually choke out the good stuff. Unless, of course, there's a storm...

Prayer:

Father,

         Whatever it takes to keep us close to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Reduce or Reproduce

Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Mark 4:18-19 NKJV

During winter, when the weather warms up even for just a day or two, I want to be outside. Recently, I got out and cut the dead wood and parasitic weeds and stalks from the fence and surrounding areas. I didn't do it last year, so this year was twice as much work.

Our Christian walk can be just like that. We've got the dead wood and old roots from the winters of our lives, and instead of plucking them out and preparing the soil of our hearts, we leave them... and nothing new grows, except weeds that choke out whatever good seed might have produced.

And I can't find one Scripture that tells me that God wants us to be unfruitful. It's not in His plan. Everything was created to produce and reproduce after its own kind. We are to reproduce in others, what God has produced in us - be it peace, love, joy, deliverance from anger, longsuffering, compassion, mercy, grace, forgiveness...

Do not let the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the Word. The Truth is unless we find the time - MAKE the time - to tend to the seed, we will be reduced to being unfruitful. Our choice...reduce or reproduce?

Prayer:

Father,
            Forgive us for not being good stewards of what You have produced in us. Teach us, Lord, to plant better seed in order to bring You a better harvest. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen