Weed Be Gone

While walking the other day, I giggled when I looked down at the sidewalk. This particular sidewalk was around a vacant lot. It was cracked, but you couldn't really see the cracks because they were filled with weeds.I was just hoping I wouldn't trip over them. As your Daddy knows, it takes a lot for me to just walk over those weeds and not just start yanking them out or at least running to grab my weed sprayer to kill them. It reminds me of that quote in the movie Jurassic Park where Jeff Goldblum's character warns the dinosaur geneticists, "Life finds a way." If there is a crack in the ground, weeds will grow. They always do.

It's the same with our lives. If there is even the slightest crack in our spiritual armor, weeds will grow. And if you continue to let them grow, they get even worse. For example, that one cuss word you utter. Just that one, opens the door for others to flow through. That one little white lie can lead to many, many more. Gossiping a little leads to gossiping a lot. Satan is desperately looking to get a foot hold (Ephesians 4:27). He is prowling, Peter tells us, like a lion looking to devour us. (1 Peter 5:8)

There is a reason why Paul uses armor as an example of our spiritual life in Ephesians 6. Armor for the warrior covers all the vulnerable parts that could lead to death: head, heart, internal organs, sometimes even the full body like arms and legs of medieval knights (I chuckle thinking of them trying to walk). But there are weaknesses even in those full body armor suits. Necks, under the arms, behind the knees. Wherever there's a crack, that is where the archers would aim. Satan, too, is looking for the cracks. So Paul warns us to have the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shield of faith and good news shoes on while holding the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Salvation, righteousness, truth, faith, the Word ... that is our armor! And we must be fully covered to be fully safe.

My dear children, know that every single day Satan is looking for your weaknesses. Every. Single. Day. How can he pull you from the Father? How can he get you to fail? Even just a little, because that just gives him an easier opportunity to get you to fail faster and harder the next time. The battle is on. He will try to get you to sin. Your whole marriage long, he will be working on you. How can I tempt them to ... ? He's got thousands of years of experience at temptation, and his success is epic. The Bible is full of relatable stories of failure. We are not immune to temptation. Even Christ was tempted. However, with God's help we can defeat it. Notice that with Christ, it was the Word He used in His defense. So meditate on it, memorize it, read and study the Word and let it become part of you ... so that there are no cracks for Satan to find.

When I got home from my walk, I saw a teeny tiny little weed growing near my front door and to its left an even tinier one. I grabbed the larger of the too and instantly pulled it out. But the tinier one,I couldn't get a grip on it. Just days later, that weed was a full blown plant. That's all it took. Yes, I got a good hold of it and yanked it out, but I noticed a tiny bit of the root was still in there. It will be back. So see to it when you are armoring up, if you already have some weeds, don't just pull out what's at the surface. Get to the root of it and destroy it. Or it will attempt to come back.

Arm yourself. Weed out the bad. Get to the root of it. Get it before it gets you. You will save yourself much heartache, confusion and deeper sin by prevention, protection and a good thorough weeding.

Discussion: Are there weeds in your life that need pulling? What are some areas where you need some spiritual armor strengthening? Can you share a story where you let a "weed" grow in your life and its consequences.

Prayer: Sometimes, Father, we don't notice at first the evil that is lurking and successfully creeping into our lives. Give us your Holy Spirit incite to catch those moment and eliminate the temptation from our lives. Give us courage, strength and perseverance. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Guard Your Heart

Daddy shared a story during his sermon Sunday that went like this: A boy was out in the wilderness when he came across a serpent, shivering in the cold. The serpent said to the boy, "Carry me to someplace warm." The boy bent over, picked up the serpent and carried him where the sun was shining brightly. Just as the boy was about to set him down, the serpent dug his fangs into the boy's chest, pumping poisonous venom into him. As the boy fell to the ground dying, the serpent said, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."

Daddy shared that story to teach the congregation about avoiding temptation. You know that feeling where you convince yourself that "just this little bit won't hurt." And this can be anything you are dealing with from eating what you shouldn't to far drastic temptations like drug use, pornography or unfaithfulness. Now don't roll your eyes and say, "Geez, Mom and Dad, seriously, this is not a problem for us," because there are many, many people who thought they were safe from these temptations and failed miserably as they opened doors just a tiny crack ... enough to let Satan kick the door open.

Daddy gave five ways you can use to avoid temptation:

1. The Word of God. Immerse yourself in it and seek answers from it.
2. Pray. Ask for help from the Holy Spirit to guide you, give you courage and protect you.
3. Praise. When you are praising the Father, focusing on Him, you are less likely to venture into shark-infested waters.
4. Flee. Get outta there. Don't peek. Don't open the door even a crack. Remove yourself from the situation.
5. Be in Christian fellowship. Surround yourself with people who will not only hold you accountable but will also build you up.

There is a wonderful song by Casting Crowns called Slow Fade which dealt with this subject matter. The bridge lyrics say this:

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand a chance
You just might be sinking

Chorus ends with "People never crumble in a day. It's a slow fade." So use the above principles to guard your heart. Know that temptation is a slippery slope, so don't even step out onto it. Know that our God will give you all the strength you need to not only slap those doors shut, but lock and bolt them. Proverbs chapter 4 has much to say about staying on the right path. Proverbs 4:14-15 says, "Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on." And later in verses 20-27, "My child, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."

At the end of Slow Fade, a little child sings this: 

Be careful little eyes what you see.

Be careful little eyes what you see.

For the Father up above

Is looking down in love.

Oh be careful little eyes what you see.

Make good choices.

Discussion: What of the above five principles do you do to help avoid temptation? Do you think you need to arm yourself to not fall into temptation?

Prayer: Father, Your Son taught us to pray saying "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Lord, we ask that you help us stay on the right path, seek Your will always, and be faithful to Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.