“Let us test and examine our ways and return to the Lord” Lamentations 3:40 (ESV).
My garden is one of my great delights, one of God’s good gifts to me. I enjoy watching new life begin, as plants grow from seed to fruit. The Word of God often uses the analogy of the garden and as I tend to mine, I love to lay hold and apply those biblical principles to my life.
This morning, as I was weeding between the vegetables, the Lord brought to mind a recent statement from my pastor, “When God exposes our sin, it is an act of grace” (Matt Powell).
When I first heard this truth, I jotted it down in my sermon notes and underlined it. I came back to it the following day in my private devotions, meditating and mulling over it. Why would I want my sin exposed? Don’t we all want to hide our sin? Don’t we all want to keep those deep and dark parts of ourselves hidden? Exposing sin brings shame and embarrassment. For our ugliest parts to be exposed does not seem an act of favor. In fact, it seems quite the opposite– painful, hurtful, even cruel.
But as I cared for my garden, gently pulling back the massive zucchini leaves to expose the weeds that harbored themselves under the plant, things became clearer. It is so much better to expose the weeds than to let them go unchecked. Instead of ignoring our sin, God calls us to test and examine our ways, so that we may return to the Lord. (Lam 3:40)
Weeds choke out growth.
The roots intertwine, plant and weed, making the growth of the plant deeply connected to the growth of the weed. The plant cannot grow strong and healthy while it is tethered to the weed. Weeds steal nutrition, water, and sunlight. Weeds reduce crop yield. They hold us back. They keep us from thriving.
But as all gardeners know, we must see the weeds in order to uproot them.
This truth hit me on so many levels. When we are first saved, it is because God has revealed our sin to us. He shows us our sin and causes us to bow before the Savior of sins. As we continue our walk with the Lord, living in gratefulness for what He has accomplished on the cross, God continually makes us more like Christ by revealing our indwelling sin and calling us to change.
Here’s the truth, dear friends, we have to know our sin in order to turn from it. We have to acknowledge our wrongs in order to change. If the sin is not exposed, we are hindered from the fullness and richness of life in Christ Jesus. Exposing the weed provides us the opportunity to look and see ourselves more truthfully, more deeply.
I love how God in His great love and mercy, does not lift the veil and expose our sins in order to shame us, but in order to heal us.
God does not expose our sins in order to shame us but in order to heal us.
When we see our sin, we see more clearly the goodness of God. We see His unconditional love anew and afresh. We see that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
God tenderly reveals our sin to us so that we might grow. His desire is to make us more like Christ.
Life Application
God reveals those weeds to us in many ways, so make sure, dear friends, that you are using the tools He has provided. His word is not only a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105), but His word also discerns our hearts and our true intentions (Heb 4:12). Are you in his Word, reading it and studying it daily, that the truth of your heart and life might be made known? Would you be ready and willing to let God’s word permeate your thinking and your actions? Are you digging in deeply?
God also uses His church and His people to spur us on to love and good works (Heb 10:24-25). He places other believers in our lives, whether our children, spouse, neighbors, or coworkers, to provide accountability, encouragement, and consistency. Are you seeking relationship with other believers or are you hiding?
Lord, expose the weeds in my heart that are choking out my growth. Reveal the secret areas that I have not been willing to acknowledge. Help me not to run from the truth of my own heart, but to run to You instead. Search me and know me, Lord. Expose my weeds.
Recommended Resources
Everyday Faithfulness: The Beauty of Ordinary Perseverance in a Demanding World by Glenna Marshall is a beautiful and powerful book that urges its readers to seek the Lord diligently and to practice a faithful walk with Christ.
