"Show us the weeds, Lord!"

Friday, February 13, 2015 (8:44 a.m.)

Holiest Father God,

Thank You! One prayer leading directly into another. My lips to Your ears, “Show us the weeds, Lord!”

While doing yard work, starting from the ground up, I easily recognize weeds that need to be pulled out. Blessed Father, we are here before You asking You to teach us to just as easily recognize the weeds in our everyday lives. What needs to be culled? What do we get rid of?

Once the recognition is clearly there, give me the power and the strength I lack. Empower me in honoring my husband by getting rid of all we do not need.

Even this seemingly simple request is met with glorious Truth from Your Word. Isaiah 5:1-7. A Song about the Lord's Vineyard. “I'll sing a ballad to the One I love, a love ballad about His vineyard: The One I love had a vineyard, a fine, well-placed vineyard. He hoed the soil and pulled the weeds, and planted the very best vines. He built a lookout, built a winepress, a vineyard to be proud of. He looked for a vintage yield of grapes, but for all His pains He got junk grapes” (vs. 1, 2).

The Life Recovery Bible has this comment for this section, “God provides us with all we need for a fruitful, functional life, but when we reject Him and abandon His way, our life becomes unmanageable, unfruitful, and dysfunctional. If we desire a normal, healthy life, we can ask God for His aid and turn our life over to Him. With God's help, our life will someday bear 'sweet grapes,' fruit that is pleasing to God.”

Sweet grapes. Fruit that is pleasing to You. Yes Father, please.

In the New Testament parable of a farmer scattering seed (Matthew 13:3-8, 22; Mark 4:3-8, 18-19; Luke 8:4-8) much is said about the weeds that choke out the healthy grain. Father, we want desperately to “grow where You've planted us”. In rich, healthy soil.

Show us the weeds, Lord! And enable us to pull them out at their roots. We love You. We long to serve You. And we thank You. Empower, embolden, equip us to Your end. Praise You. Thank You. Amen.

(373 words ~ 9:20 a.m.)