“Uprooting”means removing, pulling up, wiping out completely, eradicating or exterminating.
“Weeds” are unwanted plants in the garden as in agriculture. They are not useful and they compete with wanted, needed and useful plants, they crowd the cultivated plants and prevent them from being fruitful maximally. But in this context the weeds in our garden are those things that replace,prevent and choke the word of God from being fruitful in our spiritual garden that is our heart.
“Garden” is a plot of ground where plants are cultivated but in this context it is our heart. Our heart is
our spiritual garden where the word of God is planted.
Uprooting the weeds in our spiritual garden is exterminating those things that will occupy our heart, compete with the word of God in our heart and render us fruitfulness and prevent spiritual growth .
Weeds spread rapidly and they have great influence, take over our heart and corrupt it. They Prevent spiritual growth and lead to fruitlessness..
What are these weeds?
In this context, they are unwanted things that creep into our lives, and prevent us from being fruitful, and they rob our lives of its potentials. Our lives get run over because they are,subtle, sneaky, prolific and intentionally root out good things in our lives.
Some of such weeds creep in to our heart in form of addiction to social media, adultery, fornication, covetousness, evil and negative thoughts, cares and worries of this world, distractions, fear, fornication, laziness, lies, love of money, glutton, greed, envy, lack of prayer, worry ,what you listen to, the kind of books you read and kind of company you keep. All that the Bible describes as the works of the flesh in Gal5: 19-21. All these will prevent one from manifesting the fruit of the spirit .
As long as all or some of these occupy one’s heart, such heart cannot be fruitful. Therefore all efforts should be made to uproot them.
Let us consider three of what represent weeds in our heart.
Adultery.- 2Sam11:1-27. It is extramarital sex that willfully and maliciously interferes with marriage relations. Usually committed by a married man with another married woman who is not his wife.
I want to believe that nobody commits adultery by mistake. It is usually being thought about and the idea is planned, planted, nurtured in the heart, and actualised. For example when David committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah ‘s wife, it was well planned and after the act, he organized that her husband be put in the war front so that he might be killed ,and he was. And David took over Bathsheba as wife. I am sure if David has been busy praying for Joab along with all Israel he sent to war against the children of Ammon he would not have seen the woman, not to talk of sending for her and committing adultery with her. If he had been on prayer walk while moving around the roof top in his palace, the story would have been different.The weed of adultery spread so quickly that he had to inquire about the woman. He sent for her and slept with her. All that was in his heart was to cover the sin and he went further to arrange that Uriah be put in the war front so that he could be killed. Instead of interceding for those he sent to the war front, and thanking GOD he allowed his heart to be filled up with the desire to have intimacy with someone else’s wife and eventually it led him to commit murder through Joab.
Brethren, when evil thoughts come into your mind sprouting and brewing, instead of allowing them to fester, get involved in spiritual activities,like praising the LORD, worshiping ,thanking GOD and reading the word . Pray for such desires to die and ask for God’s grace to help you overcome.
Fornication:- 2Sam 13:1-21.
Is sexual intercourse between persons not married to each other.
We would consider the case of Amnon and Tamar who happened to be David’s children. Evil weed of fornication grew in Tamar’s heart and he feigned sickness and pretended to be sick. His friend Jonadab advised, supported him and even encouraged him to go lie in bed and even taught him what to tell David . Amnon cunningly told his father to allow Tamar his half sister to come prepare food for him . David their father allowed Tamar to go prepare food for him with the hope that he would get well after eating. Tamar prepared food and Amnon insisted she should send every body around away and then bring the food inside the room. As Tamar brought in the food to him he grabbed and raped her.
Brethren, it would appear obvious that the act was carefully thought out and planned and effected. Amnon feigned sickness as he laid in bed, and lied to his father that he was sick, insisted on eating from Tamar’s hand, asked her to send people around away after preparing the food, grabbed her and raped her despite Tamar ‘s plea. Ponder on how the weed of fornication grew rapidly and occupied Amnon’s heart. I am sure this must have taken days. Imagine if Amnon had been feeding on God’s word, singing and praising God, the weed of fornication would not have grown, spread and consumed him. Though Tamar was consoled by her brother Absalom from same mother not to take it to heart, the act led to Amnon untimely death for Absalom revenged on behalf of her sister and killed Amnon.
Brethren, nature abhors a vacuum, so the heart can not be empty,it must must be filled with something. If you don’t fill your heart with the word of GOD, if you don’t spend quality time with GOD and engage in spiritual activities , and move away from bad associate like Jonadab, the thought of fornication, adultery and the likes will fill them up ,and spread rapidly like weeds and consume one. If such thoughts crop up, never give room for them to spring up, pray for such desire to die in you and ask for God’s grace to overcome such thoughts.
Covertousness.-1 Kings 21:1-25.
Is envious eagerness to possess something. It could be extreme greed for material wealth. Or insatiable desire for wealth.
Let us consider King Ahab as a case study who allowed the weed of covetousness to spread widely and his wife Jezebel acted as fertilizer to nourish it .He could not think of any other thing but to have Naboth’s vineyard at all costs and since it takes two to tango, he did not reject his wife suggestion that she would get the land for him at all costs.
King Ahab got so much interested in Naboth’s vineyard that was close to his palace .He coveted the land and was so desperate to have it at all costs either in exchange for another vineyard or to pay for it.
But Naboth did not release the land because it was inheritance of his ancestors. Ahab went home sullen and angry and laid in bed sulking and refused to eat. But his wife instead of quenching the spread of the thought and talked him out of it, she promised to get the vineyard for him by all means and she did. She got the elders and the nobles on her side and organized two scoundrels to witness against Naboth that he cursed both God and the King and Naboth was witnessed against and stoned to death. Jezebel rejoiced and Ahab was invited to take over the land. However GOD’s judgment came upon Ahab and Jezebel through Prophet Elijah and they died differently and shamefully.
Brethren, if Ahab was reading and studying the word of GOD, he would have remembered the tenth commandment that says” You shall not covet your neighbour’s house, your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant,his ox or donkey , or anything that belongs to your neighbour.” Exo 20:17. His covetousness consumed him and took over his heart and even led him and his wife to murder Naboth.
Brethren, from the three examples illustrated above, we have learned, what can represent weeds in our heart that is our spiritual garden. We have to prevent them from taking over our hearts, prevent them from springing up and quench the thoughts so that they won’t find a foothold in our hearts. Per adventure such weeds have taken over your heart,, they just must be uprooted completely without delay.
How can we uproot them?
By studying the word of God on daily basis, fill our heart with it, and living by it.
By fellowshipping with other believers who are truly born again.
By praying and spending quality time with GOD.
Getting involved in spiritual exercises like praising and worshipping GOD.
By attending Bible believing church where the undiluted word of GOD is preached.
By not walking in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standing in the way of sinners, nor sitting in the seat of the scornful.
By focusing on Jesus and holding up to him.
By reminding self of GOD’s commandments .
The above will help exterminate the weeds in our heart.
The de- weeding we are talking above in this context should be a continuous process throughout one’s life time.
Brethren,
You are admonished to mind what you listen to, watch and read because they are planted in our hearts.
Run away from all appearances of evil and don’t be idle. And never allow any “weed” to thrive or survive in your spiritual garden/ heart.
Prayer.
Heavenly Father,
All the works of the flesh choking and competing with your word in my heart, uproot them completely and fill me with your word so that I can manifest the Fruit of the spirit.
In Jesus’ name .
