Today is July 4th, America’s Independence Day. I will celebrate, but I won’t forget the true source of freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV)
Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom.
Let spiritual freedom — freedom in Christ — ring.
Planted by God . . .
pleasing to God.
Makes a good prayer for myself — and you.
And everyone else we know and love. 
Big plants grow from small seeds. It is God’s way.
Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)
They will be called
oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
I don’t want to be a seed or a weed. I want to be a big old tree, planted by God, a testimony to His power.
My favorite preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, offered this take on the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds:
There are times to yank out the weeds, and there are times to leave them be — times when we should do no harm. The trick is knowing when. 
Jesus followed the parable of the sower with the parable of the weeds.
Matthew 13:24-26 (NIV)
The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
The field owner lets the wheat and weeds grow together, knowing it will all get sorted out in the end.
It’s hard to tell which seeds are good. I might be watering some weed seeds, just sayin’.
Christ’s parable of the sower–
It raises two questions:
Teach me, O Lord, to watch my words.
Teach me to ask, “What would Jesus say, text, type, think or treasure?” Teach me to do likewise.
Think this:
Philippians 4:8 (ERV)
Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.
Not this:
What is rumored, skeevy, wrong, nasty, ugly and rude.
Think positive. 
I tend to believe my words and thoughts are my own, and I can do with them as I want.
Better to believe I should do with them as God wants.
Words have power.
Proverbs 12:18 (CEV)
Sharp words cut like a sword,
but words of wisdom heal.
Our words have the power to hurt or the power to heal. Let’s use our words wisely.
