There’s precedence in Scripture of referring to our life as a lawn, so I’m not completely out of my yard. I did a word search for the occurrences of ‘yard work’, things like grass, rain and weeds – and it is a very common scriptural theme. I think God must do a lot of landscaping.
Genesis 2:5
and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,
Deuteronomy 32:2
Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants
Sometimes rain is withheld because of disobedience
Deuteronomy 11:17
Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.
2 Chronicles 6:26
"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,
But most of the time, rain refers to God’s desire to refresh and bless and pour out on his people. Scripture continually points to the idea that if we deal with the weeds in our lives, confess them, pull them out by their roots, that He will send healing and restoring rains on us, causing the grass to take root and grow.
2 Chronicles 6:27
then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance
Leviticus 26:4
I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.
Deuteronomy 28:12
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands
2 Samuel 23:4
he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.'
Now, a word of caution here there is also Matthew 5:45 “…for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
In our mind that’s a little messed up, why would God seem to bless the unrighteous, by giving them sun and rain – curiously this statement has a double angle -- not only does God send the blessing on both the righteous and the unrighteous, but it seems tribulation and difficulty also come up the righteous and the unrighteous.
This is hard for us to understand – I thinking about this as I’m yanking on those huge dandelions in my yard…”God, you sent the rain that caused the grass to grow, but the weeds are benefitting too, and when we get into a drought the grass seems to suffer while the weeds keep green and growing”.
Then it hit me, wait… I think I get it. In either case, whether rain or drought, the weeds are identified.
Want to know what weeds you got growing up in your life let a drought come – let trial and tribulations put the squeeze on you, and those resilient deep rooted weeds that we’ve kept trying to hide by pulling the tops off pop up clearly identify themselves.
There also benefit from grass experiencing drought. One of the warnings that we’ve been hearing from our municipal governments is that overwatering can actually weaken your lawn and make it more susceptible to browning. Because when there’s lots of water, the grass grows shallow roots, while the weeds dig in. Times of dryness make for a healthier deeper grass rooted lawn.
2 Kings 19:26
their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up.
Difficult (drought) times will come in our lives and it will be the depth and the quality of our soil that determines our survivability. If our roots are shallow, if we haven’t developed and practiced our faith our power will be quickly drained.
Don’t despise times of dryness in your life. Don’t think that God has forsaken – for He hasn’t. Let your healthy roots grow deep – look for the weeds that begin to appear and allow God to do his work. Next time we'll look at some weeding ideas.
Anyway, I was just thinking.
Neil
Genesis 2:5
and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,
Deuteronomy 32:2
Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants
Sometimes rain is withheld because of disobedience
Deuteronomy 11:17
Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.
2 Chronicles 6:26
"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,
But most of the time, rain refers to God’s desire to refresh and bless and pour out on his people. Scripture continually points to the idea that if we deal with the weeds in our lives, confess them, pull them out by their roots, that He will send healing and restoring rains on us, causing the grass to take root and grow.
2 Chronicles 6:27
then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance
Leviticus 26:4
I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.
Deuteronomy 28:12
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands
2 Samuel 23:4
he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.'
Now, a word of caution here there is also Matthew 5:45 “…for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
In our mind that’s a little messed up, why would God seem to bless the unrighteous, by giving them sun and rain – curiously this statement has a double angle -- not only does God send the blessing on both the righteous and the unrighteous, but it seems tribulation and difficulty also come up the righteous and the unrighteous.
This is hard for us to understand – I thinking about this as I’m yanking on those huge dandelions in my yard…”God, you sent the rain that caused the grass to grow, but the weeds are benefitting too, and when we get into a drought the grass seems to suffer while the weeds keep green and growing”.
Then it hit me, wait… I think I get it. In either case, whether rain or drought, the weeds are identified.
Want to know what weeds you got growing up in your life let a drought come – let trial and tribulations put the squeeze on you, and those resilient deep rooted weeds that we’ve kept trying to hide by pulling the tops off pop up clearly identify themselves.
There also benefit from grass experiencing drought. One of the warnings that we’ve been hearing from our municipal governments is that overwatering can actually weaken your lawn and make it more susceptible to browning. Because when there’s lots of water, the grass grows shallow roots, while the weeds dig in. Times of dryness make for a healthier deeper grass rooted lawn.
2 Kings 19:26
their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up.
Difficult (drought) times will come in our lives and it will be the depth and the quality of our soil that determines our survivability. If our roots are shallow, if we haven’t developed and practiced our faith our power will be quickly drained.
Don’t despise times of dryness in your life. Don’t think that God has forsaken – for He hasn’t. Let your healthy roots grow deep – look for the weeds that begin to appear and allow God to do his work. Next time we'll look at some weeding ideas.
Anyway, I was just thinking.
Neil
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