I am amazed each spring when the ground begins to turn green just how many different types of weeds come up in my yard. Each year I spray and fertilize, but each spring the weeds seem to return. If I don’t take care of removing the weeds, the grass will be starved out by them. This is also a good illustration of how cluttered our lives can become and keep us from being what God wants us to be. We need to take an examination of our lives and do some weed killing of our own. (Luke 8:14 The seed fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures. and they do not mature.) You can’t hear God if your mind is continually bombarded with other thoughts and deeds. Your mind has been planted with good seeds, but if you allow other things to take over, soon doing what God intends for you to do will be crowded out. Worrying about daily life will make it hard to hear from God. Trying to earn money and pay bills will make it hard to hear from God. Enjoying your favorite hobbies and pursuing fun can make it hard to hear from God. There is nothing wrong with earning a living or having a time of recreation, but when those things consume your whole life, it leaves no time or room for God. You don’t have to cultivate weeds. They grow automatically, don’t they? In fact, weeds are a sign of neglect. If you see weeds in your yard or garden, it means you’re not tending it. The weeds in your spiritual life reveal that you’re neglecting time with God. When things are springing up all around you, you need to weed out some things to make time for God in your daily life. You will be glad that you did. Pastor Don