And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5

Every spring a battle rages between grass and weeds. As a child I watched my dad care for our yard. The grass was still brown and dormant from the winter, but speckled with bright green patches of weeds. 

“Dad, how are you going to kill the weeds without killing the grass?” I’d ask.

“Feed the grass,” he answered without hesitation.

Dad applied pure fertilizer instead of the “weed and feed” variety. Before long, deep green blades pierced through the dead grass and they soon overtook the enemy. No more weeds. But periodic feeding was necessary to sustain victory. Weeds naturally trespass when ignored. 

That’s exactly what happens when we quit receiving God’s love that is being poured into our spirits through the Holy Spirit. Weeds of fear take root. Fear gains a stronghold in our minds; but the remedy is not in attending to the fear. Instead, we humbly accept the word implanted in us (James 1:21). Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:7 and 9) are the solid bookends for Joshua 1:8 where we are instructed to meditate on scripture day and night. 

Biblical meditation. To ponder scripture detaches us from the controlling and hindering influences of the world and attaches us instead, to the living God, by faith. Then we experience the sufficiency of grace to reach out to the hurting world in need of Christ. God’s word starves the fearful and futile messages that fight to encroach and steal our faith.

Do you struggle with this like I do? I don’t want to allow the enemy to prevent us from experiencing fruitfulness, joy, and peace.

Will you commit with me to feed the landscape of our minds with truth and win the battle with weeds?

Heavenly Father, as followers of Jesus we have the mind of Christ. Thank You for your Word to feed our faith.

Karen Sims