For Devotional Reading: Matthew 13: 24-34a

Text: (Jesus) put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. (vss. 24 & 25)

Th older I become the more hesitant I am to judge others. That does not mean that I always agree or accept what some says or does, doesn’t say or do. Rather it means that  I find myself wondering more than judging; wondering why they did or said what they did. And I wonder what God is up to in the circumstances of our lives.

I’ve come to the realization that God isn’t finished with either you or me, yet. Or anyone else for that matter. An old hymn says that God is working out His purposes, “as year succeeds year”.  I think that that about says it.

In Jesus’ parable a farmer’s field has been vandalized. The farmer’s workers want to “walk the rows” and pull out “the weeds”. But the farmer said “No”. He was afraid that some of the good crop would also be destroyed. There would be time enough at the harvest, he told his workers, to seperate the good from the bad.

God is patient…and forgiving. God is also ridiculously gracious. And we should be glad about that because you see, someone thinks that we are a weed. Yes, God works in lifetimes and even in generations. The story of our life is not over until the Author says it is. And the Author is fond of happy endings.

Lord, make me slow to judge and quick to forgive. Thank you for cutting me some slack. I don’t deserve it. I will do my best to glorify you with my whole being. Amen.