All Choked Up

The soil in our yard is a real challenge for planting...most of our plants and flowers are in pots and containers, and I have noticed even they aren't doing so well.

In Luke 8, we find the parable of the "soil" and are reminded how the thorns and roots, etc. 'choke out' the growth and nourishment of the seed, and eventually - its life. At one time I planted some hosta lillies by our front porch in fresh new soil - they were beautiful for several years and then they just seemed to dwindle to nothing. I bought new ones this year to replace them. I began to dig the holes with the shovel for the new plants and was met with great resistance. The roots were so thick I could hardly get through...it was like a thick mesh web and I never reached any good soil. -- No wonder the lillies looked like they did -- weak, skimpy and sparse......

What a picture of our lives when the "thickness" of the roots of sin and this world hinder our spiritual roots from freedom to anchor strong and deep in the soil where we find strength, security, vitality and nourishment to be able to withstand the "winds", "floods", "heat", and "cold" of this life. I asked a master gardener and he said that you need fresh new soil every time you plant. You even need to pour out the old soil in your containers because the roots from the old plants choke out the new ones trying to take hold.

I really don't want to invest the time and energy into removing the old....it's so much easier to just pour a little new soil on top of the old - BUT - when the roots pass through the new soil and hit the old roots that have not been removed....a slow dying process begins.

Are there thick roots compacted in your "soil" from "old" plants...hindering the growth of the Lord's harvest of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness.....temperance? Try emptying your "containers" of the old rooted soil and replace it with some new rich soil that has conditioners like the Holy Spirit...bet you will soon have a beautiful new harvest unto Him!!


Luke 8:7 ... And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. - (KJV)



(Written by my friend, Marsha - - Posted with permission)