“I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; It’s surface was covered with nettles; It’s stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction …” Proverbs 24:30-32
When my son was in his teens, I used to take him to the driving range picture above. It was pristine then and He loved going. There was lots of people practicing their golf game; the greens were nicely manicured and the shop was always bustling. It was definitely the place to be most nights and on the weekend.
And then something happened.
I’m not sure what.
Was it sold? Or the lease up? Was it bought out for development?
I don’t know.
It just started going down hill, was neglected and left to ruin.
A place that once was “the place”, was now a shell of what it used to be.
It explains the above verse perfectly.
The writer of this Psalm went by a place that used to be “the place” as well, and he too noticed it was all broken down and in ruins.
And he said, “I received instruction” … what can we learn?
Generally, when something looks broken on the outside – it is on the inside as well.
How important it is for us to keep our “insides” maintained. Dear reader, don’t be discouraged if your progress is slow – walking with God is simply – walking, and sometimes/some years, it’s a slow walk.
Ask God to:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:22,23)
To ask God to search our heart is to be humble.
And then to fix what He asks is to be obedient.
The next time you read this verse in the Psalms … remember the driving range.
Keep your insides right and one day your life will reflect a good “game”.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, please clean up my messes. Make me new inside and out. I can’t fix myself but I know you can. I choose to be obedient to Your promptings. I humble myself today. Amen.