Tap Root

Behold the Man, The Word Became Flesh
 © 2005 Debbie Turner Chavers

Well, it is that time again. Spring has sprung. Time to tend to the weeds in the garden. Weeding is something that I do not necessarily look forward to, although I love the appearance of the garden after the removal of weeds.

There are so many spiritual lessons to be learned from the Lord of the harvest as you tend to a garden.
I try to weed in intervals due to the physical exertion required. I have found that weeding spiritually has exertion involved also. Due diligence is required to take care of the little foxes that spoil our vines spiritually.
Weeding is always easier after a rainfall. Spiritually, it is easier to see our own weeds as the rain of God's word and Spirit have drenched us and opened our eyes to His truth.
The ground and our hearts become pliable and yield to the effort to remove offensive weeds.

As I tended to the weeding in the garden, I noticed a new weed this week. The weed was quite attractive in appearance. It was similar in appearance to lambs ear. An invasive plant.
All the weeds up to this point had been pliable and easy to remove with the roots lifting out easily. When I tried to pull this new weed from the bed it had a long tap root. This tap root required a small shovel to remove its hold in the garden.
Because this particular plant had a tap root, I will have to be diligent to watch for its renewal.
Although it appeared attractive, it was an invasive weed.
Some things in our own lives have tap roots and require the shovel of God's spoken Word and the power of His Holy Spirit to remove. We must be diligent to examine the garden of our heart and weed out those things which will invade and attempt to take over the garden of our heart.
We are a garden unto the Lord and He has planted peace, love, joy, goodness in His garden. These are some of the seeds that God's love has planted in us.

The Easter season is upon us. My encouragement today is that we all will pray for and allow God through His son Jesus Christ to create in us a clean and weed free heart and renew a right spirit within us.

~Debbie

© 2010 Debbie Turner Chavers

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Ephesians 3:17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Song of Songs 2:15
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines [have] tender grapes.

Isaiah 58:11And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Provocation

I have been considering how I act on a daily basis. Do I provoke others in a positive or a negative way? God's word tells me to provoke others unto love and good works. If I do not make a conscious effort, this will not necessarily be my plan of action.
It is easy to follow instead of lead.
To fall into line with complaining and complacency. Not a proper path if we want to obey God's word.
Without a decision on our part, you and I will float along participating in the status quo.
I have made a quality decision to focus on the positive. Yes, I know there is plenty of negative stuff all around. So I can either wallow in the mire or take a bath in God's good word and clean up my perspective and the area around me.
There is almost a spoiled delight in complaining. Yet, if I look around while wallowing in this mire, I will recognize that my mental mud has a way of splattering those around me.
Without much thought at all, I can be provoked into thinking I have an excuse to complain. Whether by a peevish attitude or a general dissatisfied demeanor I can affect those around me. So can you.
So today I want to provoke us both to take the lead. Obey God's word and provoke those around us unto love and good works.
You and I have tremendous potential to have a wonderful, positive effect on others during our life time.
Do not dismiss the power of one.
Be the one who provokes others unto love and good works.

~Debbie

© 2010 Debbie Turner Chavers

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:


John 15:3
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

A Stranger

I have been granted a fine time of getting to know an assortment of new people. Everyone comes from somewhere but most of the people I have been meeting have moved to my area in the last year from other states.
At times even with a new job, new church,new school , even extracurricular activities it can be hard to make a new friend. Once the day or activity is over you have spent time but not found the one on one fellowship that helps you overcome the newness of a move.
Maybe you have lived in the same place forever. You know most of the locals and you know just where to go when something is needed. Well, because of this bouquet of strangers I have been given the opportunity to extend a smile and a welcome and sometimes a shared meal.
This has been a privilege, but unusual to my everyday way of life for the past couple of years.
As this influx of strangers kept being put in my path, I began to think about it.

Upon contemplation, the scripture in Matthew 25:35 was brought to my attention in an entirely new way. The scripture states, I was a stranger and ye took me in.
Well, to be honest that has always kind of freaked me out. You know taking in the stranger. From a small child I was warned not to pick up hitch-hikers. Do not accept candy from strangers. And the list went on. Stranger Danger!
I repeated these same warnings to my children. So how could I reconcile my fear with the scripture admonition of Jesus Christ, with my parents warnings ringing in my ears?
Well, God meets you where you are at, even if it is out of town!
He showed me that I was being allowed to take in a stranger by offering friendship and fellowship to those who were put in my path.
I am being allowed to participate at my own comfort level..via friendship to fulfill the scripture admonition. I was a stranger and you took me in. I took them in by including them in my circle of care.
Read over the scriptures below and see how God grants you the ability to live out these scriptures.

~Debbie

© 2010 Debbie Turner Chavers

Matthew 25:35
For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Matthew 25:36
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.