Category: Colossians

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Choosing Sides

To say I wasn’t very athletic as a kid is an understatement. I was quite often the last one chosen when the neighborhood was picking teams for the softball game. One time when we were teaming up my brother chose me, I was on cloud nine. He was the best at baseball, and he chose me when he could have picked a better player.

I can still remember how special I felt!

How much better is the feeling we get when we know that God has chosen us?

“It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. 12  God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient.” Colossians 3:11-12 CEV 

It doesn’t matter our nationality, our station in life, our education or our financial standing; what’s important it that Christ died for all of us. He is what matters. God loves us and has chosen us to be His own.

Now the question is do we choose Him?

“All of you nations, come praise the Lord!  Let everyone praise him. 2 God’s love for us is wonderful; his faithfulness never ends.  Shout praises to the Lord!” Psalm 117 CEV

His love is wonderful and His faithfulness to us never ends. Never! Not ever? No, Never!

“Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful…5 When I was really hurting, I prayed to the Lord. He answered my prayer, and took my worries away.
6 The Lord is on my side, and I am not afraid of what others can do to me. 7 With the Lord on my side, I will defeat my hateful enemies. 8 It is better to trust the Lord for protection than to trust anyone else, 9   including strong leaders.” Psalm 118:1,5-9 CEV

Choosing sides? It is better to have the Lord on our side than anyone else. When we side with the Lord we are on the winning side. He has chosen us; it’s up to us to make Him the captain and Lord of our days.

“What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us?” Romans 8:31 CEV

Remember what I said about my brother choosing me to be on his team? It would have been silly for me to try and tell him how to play the game. He was the expert baseball player, not me.

In life, it’s better for us to trust the expert. The One who has faced every temptation and won.

“Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:15-16 CEV

“It is better to trust the Lord , He will take away all of our worries” – He’s on our side, we’ve been chosen!

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Standing on the Rock

Yesterday while we were watching the morning news there was an earthquake on the East Coast. It wasn’t a big quake by any means, but it left the news anchors startled and quite literally shaken.

Maybe you are like me and some mornings when you wake up you feel unsteady, a bit shaken, something is unsettled inside. Sometimes there’s no explanation for this uneasy feeling, it’s just there. Other times it can be caused by underpinning of fear or just the unknown.

Just like those tremors and earthquakes, this emotional and spiritual tremor is unwelcomed. The question comes how do we deal with it.

“I love you, Lord God, and you make me strong. 2 You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector, the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter. 3 I praise you, Lord! I prayed, and you rescued me from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3 CEV

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 CEV

Jesus knew that the times He lived in were tumultuous. The Jews were being ruled by the Romans. They were subject to a foreign ruler; taxes were high, there was civil unrest and the religious leaders were separated into two different sects. Life was uncertain. This is what Jesus had to say.

“ Anyone who comes and listens to me and obeys me 48 is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When a flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn’t even shake. 49 But anyone who hears what I say and doesn’t obey me is like someone whose house wasn’t built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!” Luke 6:47-49 CEV

We don’t have to be shaken by our circumstances.

When we trust God’s word we have a sure foundation, a foundation that cannot be shaken.

“You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.” Colossians 2:6-7 CEV

“The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm. 4 So always trust the Lord
because he is forever our mighty rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 CEV

I feel like the Lord wants me to pray for you right now.

“Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to you lifting all who are reading this to Your throne. Replace the shakiness in their hearts with Your peace that bypasses our understanding. Make their spiritual legs strong so they won’t be shaken. You promise that we can do all things through Christ, He is our strength. Your word Father is our rock, our firm foundation. We trust you!” Amen.

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The Silent Sabbath

I can only imagine what it must have been like to one of Jesus’ disciples on that Sabbath Day.

 “There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea. Joseph was a good and honest man, and he was eager for God’s kingdom to come. He was also a member of the council, but he did not agree with what they had decided.

52 Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in fine cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that had been cut out of solid rock and had never been used. 54 It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.[a]

55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and watched how Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb. 56  Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for his burial. But on the Sabbath they rested, as the Law of Moses commands.” Luke 23:50-56 CEV

The quiet, the grief, the anxiousness, the heart break, the disillusionment, the fear.

They had truly believed that He would set up an earthly kingdom and now He, their Messiah, was dead. Hope was gone. Fear invaded their silence – would the soldiers be coming for them next? Would they be accused, tried and crucified?

Across the city there was a commotion going on at Pilate’s court.

“On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate. 63  They said, ‘Sir, we remember what this liar said while he was still alive. He claimed in three days he would come back from death. 64 So please order the tomb to be carefully guarded for three days. If you don’t, his disciples may come and steal his body. They will tell the people he has been raised to life, and this last lie will be worse than the first one.’

65 Pilate said to them, ‘All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.’ 66 So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it.” Matthew 27:62-66 CEV

These were the same men that had Jesus arrested and hauled to Pilate’s court the day before. They were scared. If Jesus was who He said He was He would be raised from the dead and that was frightening.

There was no silence here.

“ Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:14-15 ERV

The Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse behind the rock that sealed the tomb. Jesus met His enemy; the one who had tempted Him in the wilderness, the one who had stirred up the hatred against Him. There in the world of the spirit, Jesus defeated Satan and his powers; Jesus stripped him and showed the world that Satan had been defeated!

“56 Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin. 57 But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!” I Corinthians 15:57-58 CEV

When God seems silent, when our hope is gone, remember there is victory for us in Christ Jesus. Break the silence and raise your voice in praise!

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God Was Pleased

We don’t have a lot of Biblical information on the young and formative years of Jesus, but we do know that His earthly parents were faithful to raise Him to love the Lord God and follow God’s statutes.

Each year they would take Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. You remember Passover, it’s when God told the Israelites to kill a lamb and place its blood on the door posts and lentils so the death angel would “pass over” their homes when he came through Egypt.

Here is the one story we do have about Jesus’ childhood.

” Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they all went there as usual for the celebration. 43 After Passover his parents left, but they did not know that Jesus had stayed on in the city. 44 They thought he was traveling with some other people, and they went a whole day before they started looking for him. 45 When they could not find him with their relatives and friends, they went back to Jerusalem and started looking for him there. 46 Three days later they found Jesus sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was surprised at how much he knew and at the answers he gave.” Luke 2:42-47 CEV

Now please don’t over spiritualize this story.

We have two parents who thought their son was hanging with friends on their way back to Nazareth. At the end of the day, they find that he isn’t anywhere in the traveling party. They go back to Jerusalem, searching for him. It takes them three days. Three days, to find him!

They must have been worried sick. The city was crowded, the roads they traveled could be dangerous for someone alone; they searched…and finally found Him in the temple. He was learning from the elders and at the same time was amazing them with His knowledge.

“When his parents found him, they were amazed. His mother said, ‘Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for you!’ 49 Jesus answered, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he meant. 51 Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and obeyed them. His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened. 52  Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people.” Luke 2:48-52 CEV

Young Jesus was obedient, wise, strong and He pleased His heavenly Father. He was already on the road that would lead Him to the cross. Along that road He touched the lives of the people He came in contact with – the friends, the Temple rulers, the people that came to the Temple to learn from them, His mother and the people in His village.

So, what does that have to do with you and I?

“God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. 20 And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God. 21 You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. 22 But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.” Colossians 1:19-22 CEV

Jesus walked the road to the cross and pleased God so that you and I could have peace with the Father. We have been made holy, faultless and innocent because of Him!

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No Law Against It

By now I hope your garden is well planted. Seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24 CEV

Planting God’s word in a heart of good soil is always an effort that brings good results.

“The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 23 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as 100 or 60 or 30 times what was planted.” Matthew 13:22-23 CEV

I hope you have written down our “seed” verses over the last several days. We need to keep them fresh in our memory so that our hearts continue to bear fruit – some 30, some 60 and some 100 times as much.

The Apostle Paul tells us that there is no law against these characteristics that Christ develops in our lives. But his message stirred up hatred, jealousy, and anger in the hearts of some who heard it. No one was ever arrested or maligned for doing good and righteous things. However, Paul was beaten and imprisoned for sharing God’s love by those who were convicted by his stand for Christ.

“God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control. 8 Don’t be ashamed to speak for our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, just because I am in jail for serving him. Use the power that comes from God and join with me in suffering for telling the good news.” II Timothy 1:7-8 CEV

Standing strong is the real test of the seed, or what God is developing in our lives. A tree withstands the storms of life. The rain, wind, lightning, hail, frost and snow. It stands resilient in the face of hardship. It’s rooted deep.

“ But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.” Colossians 1:23 CEV

We must stand guard so that the weeds – the cares and anxieties of life – don’t choke out the seed.

“ Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:4-7 CEV

Paul wasn’t arrested because of the good he did. Jesus wasn’t crucified because of the miracles He performed and the compassion He showed. Persecution and death came because of the hatred in men’s hearts.

Will we be tested and face trials in our stand for Christ? Yes, yes we will. But just like Paul, Peter, John, James and Jesus our fruit will continue to produce as long as we don’t let weeds of bitterness and self-pity choke it out.

There is no law against God’s love.

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Say What?

Oh boy! This morning we are going to open a big package of “self-control” seeds.

 “But the fruit… 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:23 NLV

One translation that I looked at today shows self-control as continence or self-restraint. Ruling over our own desires. So, let’s jump right in and get some seeds planted.

“O Lord, put a watch over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 NLV

Our words can be devastating, harmful and destructive. Wrong eating habits can destroy our bodies the same way that wrong behavior can harm our souls.

“We all make many mistakes. If anyone does not make a mistake with his tongue by saying the wrong things, he is a perfect man. It shows he is able to make his body do what he wants it to do…5 The tongue is also a small part of the body, but it can speak big things. See how a very small fire can set many trees on fire. 6 The tongue is a fire. It is full of wrong. It poisons the whole body. The tongue sets our whole lives on fire with a fire that comes from hell… 9 With our tongue we give thanks to our Father in heaven. And with our tongue we speak bad words against men who are made like God. 10 Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!” James 3:2-10 NLV

Not a lot of explanation is needed here. If we control our speech, we show maturity and restraint. If we don’t, it’s just not right.

“ And keep Your servant from sinning by going my own way…14 Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in Your eyes, O Lord, my Rock and the One Who saves me.” Psalm 19:13-14 NLV

“The words of his mouth are sinful and false. He has stopped being wise and doing good. 4 He plans wrong-doing upon his bed. He sets himself on a path that is not good. He does not hate what is bad.” Psalm 36:3-4 NLV

These two passages compare and contrast the life of someone with self-control and someone without it. Pleasing words, pleasing thoughts versus sinful and false words.

Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks. If we want to change what we say and how we say it, we need to change our hearts.

“Christian brothers, keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 NLV

Speak the truth with love.

“Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head” Ephesians 4:15 CEV

“ When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.” Colossians 4:6 ERV

Weeds of sarcasm and criticism must go. Destructive words that burn the heart must be quenched. When we have self-control, our words will be seasoned with love!

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Gentleness Requires Strength

As I start this writing my eyes are filled with tears as I remember the moments when I was most gentle.

The last year of my mother’s life her strength failed. She needed help doing everything. Walking, sitting down and getting up, showering, dressing, even eating at times. Someone had to be at her side almost constantly.

At night, when I would help her to bed, we would talk. Her voice was soft and low, and she would thank me for taking such good care of her. She would say “I know my body isn’t working and I need the strength of others. Thank you.” Then we would pray, and she would go to sleep.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

Gentleness.

That quiet strength that seems to bring calm and comfort. Parents know how to be gentle when their child has had a bad dream or is frightened by a new and strange experience. Nurses seem to be particularly adept at being gentle when they are caring for someone who is ill.

A friend knows how to step in with gentle consolation during times of heartache and loss. The best is when a small child cradles your face in their hands and says, “It’s ok Mommy, don’t cry”.

“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.” Philippians 4:5 NLT

But gentleness isn’t just meant for those we are related too or have a close relationship with.

 “And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me…Don’t be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you their angels are always with my Father in heaven.12 Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had 100 sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn’t you leave the 99 on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? 13 I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the 99 that never wandered off. 14 That’s how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn’t want any of these little ones to be lost.” Matthew 18:5,11-14 CEV

Christ’s instruction to all of us is that we should be gentle with those who are lost. We should search for them and bring them back from danger.

“A gentle answer turns away anger, but a sharp word causes anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses much learning in a good way, but the mouth of fools speaks in a foolish way.” Proverbs 15:1-2 NLV

“Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. 3 Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3 CEV

“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13 CEV

Seeds of gentleness.

The Father’s example to us, His children, and our harvest of gentleness reflects the love of the Father to the world.

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Doing Good

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24 CEV

What does it mean to do good? Have you ever really thought about that? God’s Spirit makes us good and gives us the desire to do good.

Luke wrote in the books of Acts that Jesus went around doing good.

“God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil.” Acts 10:38 CEV

When He did good people were healed – physically, emotionally, and spiritually and they were freed from the power of the devil. Their lives were changed. He told sinners to go on their way and sin no more. People like Zacchaeus were changed from dishonest tax collectors to benevolent members of society. Prostitutes were changed from women of low reputation to women who served their communities with kindness. A salty, boisterous, braggadocious fisherman was changed to a powerful preacher of the good news of Jesus.

How? By the goodness of God.

“You surely don’t think much of God’s wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?…6  God will reward each of us for what we have done. 7 He will give eternal life to everyone who has patiently done what is good in the hope of receiving glory, honor, and life that lasts forever.” Romans 2:4,6&7 CEV

Doing good is life changing.

“The lifestyle of good people is like sunlight at dawn that keeps getting brighter until broad daylight.” Proverbs 4:18 CEV

“Whoever works to do good will find love and loyalty. It is a mistake to work at doing evil.” Proverbs 14:22 ERV

Christians, we who love God, should be a reflection of His character. God is good.

“ Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. 10 We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.” Galatians 6:9-10 CEV

“She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God’s people into her home, helping people in need, and always making herself useful.” I Timothy 5:10 CEV

Finally, I want you to see this prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians that he was ministering to. It’s my prayer for all of us.

“ I pray that your love will keep on growing and you will fully know and understand 10 how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, 11 Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:9-11 CEV

Each of these verses is a seed of goodness that we can plant in our lives. Each seed will produce a harvest and will bring glory to God.

Time to plant some seeds! Don’t grow weary!

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Instant Growth

Boy, is that an oxymoron! Growth is never instant and that’s exactly why it’s called growth.

“ God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” Galatians 5:22-23 CEV

Patience, Longsuffering, Endurance, not words we like to live.

“My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.” James 1:2-4 CEV

Patience isn’t just the ability to wait; it’s waiting with character. It’s waiting with love, joy and peace. Impatient people wait – they just don’t do it well. When the Holy Spirit is working in our lives, while patience is growing, we will have daily opportunities to endure or to suffer long.

That slow cashier at the grocery store, the long line of traffic, the person trying to decide which orange juice to buy, getting through the admission process at the doctor’s office, standing in line at the post office, waiting on hold (I fail often with this one) are all opportunities – opportunities to endure.

While we’re waiting it’s a good time to plant more seed.

“Love is patient and kind,” I Corinthians 13:4 CEV

These fruit of the Spirit we are planting are the fruit or character of God. We are called to imitate Him as little children imitate their parents.

“Then he passed in front of Moses and called out, ‘I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. ‘” Exodus 34:6

God, the Father, has been tremendously patient with us! The old English word for patient is long-suffering. Yes, He has suffered through our willfulness, our selfishness, our rebellion and disobedience. And in spite of all that He shows us great love and is completely trustworthy.

“God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13  Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.” Colossians 3:12-13 CEV

Put up with each other – that’s a big calling! Patience is love in action. The Apostle Paul says it was God’s patience that brought him to salvation.

“Here is a true statement that should be accepted without question: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them. 16 But I was given mercy so that in me Christ Jesus could show that he has patience without limit. Christ showed his patience with me, the worst of all sinners. He wanted me to be an example for those who would believe in him and have eternal life.” I Timothy 1:15-16 ERV

“God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives.” Romans 2:4 ERV

So, as we plant seeds of patience let’s look at the end result. As we grow, we will become mature, and we will be able to bring others to Christ by showing them the same patience He has shown us.

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Let’s Get Started

If you read yesterday’s blog you know that we are God’s garden. Paul said he planted; Apollos watered but God gives the increase. Today it’s time to start preparing the garden.

Each year I had my garden, I would get started by breaking up the ground that had sat through the winter. The surface would be hardened from the long period of being dormant. I would take my time raking through the earth, crumbling the dirt clods, raking it again, watering, raking, crumbling and finally adding new soil as needed.

If you want to have a fruitful garden, you have to have good 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 NLT

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts. Excellent advice.

When we first moved back to Arizona, the ground in our area was sunbaked caliche, a natural concrete type material found in desert areas, beneath it was a red clay. Neither soil type was good for growing flowers and vegetables. It took a lot of work, but I was able to bring in good topsoil, Dave added a drip system and finally we had a garden that would bear fruit.

We don’t have physical stones in our hearts but the Apostle Paul warns us of spiritual hardness.

“ But now you must stop doing such things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. 9  And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.” Colossians 3:8-9 CEV

“ As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. 18 Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, 19 and they are so greedy they do all kinds of indecent things.” Ephesians 4:17-19 CEV

Breaking up the ground, preparing the soil is hard work.

Sometimes there are big rocks to remove – bitterness, anger, jealousy, deceitful desires – so that you can have a productive garden. And don’t forget about the weeds and the wild uncultivated seeds that seem to grow in this hard soil.

“Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. 17 But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.

18 “Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, 19 but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.” Mark 4:16-19 ERV

I know I’ve given you quite a bit to think about today. Pray on it. Tell the Lord you want Him to show you how to break up the ground, pull out the weeds and how to become more productive in your walk with Him.

He will do the very thing you ask, after all, it’s God who gives the increase! Now, let’s get started.

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