November 26, 2023

As I was weeding my garden, I was reminded of the parable Jesus taught about the wheat growing among the tares. It got me thinking about those weeds. No matter what I do, I cannot make those weeds become the crop that I planted. I can witness to that weed all I want, and it will never become my crop. However, we, who are the crop, must live with the tares among us until Jesus gathers us into his barn and sets the tares on fire. What is also apparent is that the wheat cannot become a tare. You are chosen and are safe from eternal damnation. 

Don’t get discouraged if you are diligently trying to bring someone to Jesus and they continually reject him. If it is God’s will, they will turn and follow Jesus. Though this is a hard lesson, and we may not know what’s included in God’s plan, we do know that we have a role to play; Jesus told us to go and tell the world about him, and we must do as we are told whether the world listens or not. 

Moses spoke these words to Israel before they entered the promised land, reminding them of what God had done for them. I believe we can take these verses for ourselves and count them as promises to us. Even though these two situations don't quite mesh, we need to hear God's promise to us, his wheat.

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:30