The Covering
On this pleasant summer morning, I went for my daily walk around the neighborhood. There was a nice breeze, low humidity – which could be seen as a miracle for a North Carolina day – just a pleasant walk around the circle through my neighborhood and the newly developed one adjacent to ours. No real thoughts were circulating through my mind while I was traversing the roads. However, I began to notice the weeds in a few yards.
For our neighborhood that’s nothing new. It’s an older neighborhood. But in the newly developed one, it was thought-provoking. Weeds are opportunistic. They will always come up when things are left untended. In new lawns, it’s easy to spot those little weeds popping up. In the older yards, weeds just begin to creep in little by little. For the people who are diligent in their lawn care procedures, weeds do not have the chance to grow. I would have thought in the new development, the people would have been more diligent in their care. After all, they just spent a lot of money putting in their new lawns.
As I considered these things after my walk, I thought about weeds in general – physical and spiritual. In the physical world, weeds are a natural covering for the earth. Barrenness is actually a wound to the earth and the weeds come because the earth wants to heal – to fill in those barren places. We think of weeds as a nuisance. But most weeds are really beneficial to the earth and actually to our bodies. Dandelions are quite good for us. I once heard God did not create barren places. He created the Garden of Eden. It was paradise – lush and beautiful. It was the fall of man who brought the barrenness – the desert places.
Maybe the physical barrenness is actually a physical representation of our own barrenness of soul. We too have fallen into that barren place through the fall of man. Our physical bodies are set on destruction. It’s the way of our fall. We see the decay every day when we look in the mirror. A couple of more wrinkles – a few more gray hairs. Well, if you’re my age. If you are still young with your whole future ahead of you, you might not see it for a few more years. However, it’s a given. It’s going to happen.
But like the earth, the body wants to heal. It has an innate ability to cover over the hurt areas in order for the body to heal. Cholesterol can be seen as such. It covers over the damage in an artery. It’s unfortunate that too much of it can cause blockages and the doctors want to reduce the cholesterol circulating through the veins. However, the root of the problem is not cholesterol, but the damage in the arteries. What caused the damage in the first place?
What is the root cause of the barrenness in our souls? What created the damage in the first place? If the person has never known Jesus as Lord and Savior, then the root cause of barrenness for that person is the fall of man – the natural fallen state. For the person who knows Jesus, then it might be a lack of attention to the weeds that creeps in when left untended. Weeds are an indication, like cholesterol, something needs to be addressed.
Through Scripture, we are told one day we will have a new body at the resurrection. We have to live with what we have for now. We intentionally need to care for our bodies now, but it still will end up in the dust one day. But behold the new body and the new earth one day! What a beautiful day that will be. Right? No more destruction or decay. No more tears from pain. No more heartache or headaches. No more brokenness. Total healing. Today, we don’t have total healing. Today, we have problems to address. We have to be intentional in dealing with the weeds if we want a better today.
The lush lawns are a perfect example of fertilizing and lawn maintenance of trimming and weeding. If left untended, it will go back to its natural state. Our natural state is the way of fallen man. Let’s be diligent today of staying fertilized in God’s Word with the proper pruning to keep our hearts clean and ready for Jesus’ presence. One day, Jesus will return. Let’s make sure our lives are lush and beautiful for that day! Let’s get busy trimming and cover what’s barren through the presence of Jesus so we can be fruitful for God’s Kingdom. It’s time to address those roots. Dig it out before it ruins your Garden.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:12-16
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