Pull the Weeds of Worry

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading, titled Pull the Weeds of Worry, was written by Katerra Patton. After burying a few seeds in a planter in my backyard, I've waited to see the results. Reading that the seeds would sprout within 10 to 14 days, I checked often as I watered the soil. Soon, I saw a few green leaves pushing their way out of the soil, but my bubble burst quickly when my husband told me those were weeds. He encouraged me to pull them quickly so that they wouldn't choke the plants I was trying to grow. In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus also told of the importance of dealing with intruders that can impede our spiritual growth. He explained a portion of his parable this way, When a sower cast his seeds, some fell among thorns and choked the plants. Thorns or weeds will do just that to plants, stop their growth, and worry will surely stunt our spiritual growth. Reading scripture and praying are always great ways to grow our faith, but I found I need to watch out for the thorns of worry.

They'll choke the good word that has been planted in me, making me focus on what could go wrong. The fruit of the Spirit found in scripture includes such things as love, joy, peace. But in order for us to bear that fruit in God's strength, we need to pull any weeds of doubt or worry that may distract us and cause us to focus on anything other than Him.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Matthew chapter 13 verses 1 through 8 and verses 18 through 23. That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it while all the people stood on the shore. Then He told them many things in parables, saying, A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.

It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up, and choked the plants.

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop, a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Now picking up at verse 18, listen then to what the parable of the sower means. When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.

This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, please remind us to pull weeds often, discarding worry and deceitful thoughts so that we may grow and bear fruit in You. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Tony Collier and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.