DEVOTION: Why Did I Procrastinate? by Ray Hawkins

I know I should have done it there and then. But I put it off. Distracted and forgetful I was to pay the price in sweat and a trickle of blood. The little weed became a mass of thorns and leaves. The blackberry roots also went deep.

Later, as I recovered from the exertion my procrastination created I became the preacher again. In my mind I turned the physical into the spiritual. The weed I did battle with was once a seed. It found an appropriate place to lodge and then grow. How similar to the various seeds the world and the Devil fling at a person wanting to find a crack, an open unattended area of life.

Is your Christian life like mine? I want it to be fruitful and pleasant in the sight of the Lord. That requires constant attention. When I get slack or too busy to tend my spiritual life I soon discover the world or the Devil has scattered weeds of lust, envy, bitterness, shame fear to mention but a few. Failure to deal with them when they are recognised has detrimental effects in my life of faith and worship.

The fruit and fragrance is choked and my joy in the Lord is smothered. Fortunately He doesn’t allow that to continue. He sets about to discipline, awaken and to arouse my spirit to repent. Then I have to deal with each weed according to the Lord’s manual – the bible. This can take time, more effort than if done in the beginning and a bit embarrassing when others know what’s happening.

Anyway, the effort is worth it. To honour the Lord by a weed free fruitful life is my expression of gratitude for His grace to me. May it be that I’ll be more attentive to the first signs of sprouting weeds, today!

Over to you: What weeds do you need to deal with in your life right now?

Ray Hawkins is retired after 30 years as a minister. 

He is author of five books of Biblical meditations which you can see on his blog site.

Do visit his stunning new blog and say hello!