Gardens

 "Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow." Matthew 13:5

I once heard evangelist James Robison tell of God speaking to him and saying, "There are too many rocks in your garden." He meant that the Father was speaking about his heart's soil, and what it was producing in his life, or more accurately, not producing. There were too many "rocks," obstructing growth, obstructing fruitfulness. The rocks needed to be removed. As anyone who has ever done any gardening, this can be a hard task. Rocks can become embedded in the soil, and digging them out, a hard, painstaking process. No less so when the "garden" is our heart, and the life that comes out of it. There are too many rocks in our garden. What are yours, and what are mine?

Wherever there's a rock, it means there is no soil. Seeds have no depth in which to grow because the growth is obstructed by the rocks. The Holy Spirit distributes the seeds of His Word and Life upon our hearts in countless ways. We hear it willingly, but it never gets the chance to take root, to bear fruit, because the many rocks in our garden prevent it. How many times and ways has He spoken to us, and we hear what He says, but the impression is only for a short while? The rocks, in the form of life distractions, other interests and concerns, worries, anxieties, or deeply hidden attitudes and desires lying within us that counteract His words, prevent any growth.

Having pastored now for nearly 40 years, I have seen this on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, no more than in the corporate worship we are a part of. The "rocks" are showing even before the seeds are spread. People arrive frazzled, distracted, and late. So much has been going on for them that morning that whatever thoughts they've had of Him were far outweighed by what they saw as far more pressing; a disagreement with their mate, difficult children, the activity they need to attend after church, all of these and more steal our hearts from Him. Someone said that we have experienced countless worship services, but far too few times of worship. To experience true worship of the Lord, our hearts need to be prepared. Few of us are prepared to meet with Him, hear from Him, and receive from Him. We've been around Him, heard about Him, even sung about Him. We've not experienced Him. Nothing took root. There were too many rocks. There are still too many rocks. Too many rocks in your garden and too many in mine. What do we do about them?

It starts with letting Him point them out. We're experts at avoiding this. Then we need to repent of allowing the rocks to remain, and follow His leading for their removal. That leading will always bring us to a focus on Him. Not a sometime focus, but a lifestyle one. As we focus on Him, the rocks begin to disappear from our hearts. His seeds begin to take root, and we receive these seeds not just from a weekly worship service but from a daily commune with Him through His Word, prayer, and a growing relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Our heat soil begins to teem with His Life. The soil is rich, and the yield is great. The only rock that remains in our garden is the Rock that is Jesus Christ.

Blessings,
Pastor O