Just
be a Thistle
But make up your
mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
Luke 21:14
As I walked, meditating on how God uses
us to spread the Gospel, I was prompted to ask Him how He intended to
use me. As I meditated I became concerned about what my service to
the Lord would look like. Since with me concern sometimes preempts
worry, God took that moment to intervene, “Look at that thistle.”
Thistles intrigue me; spiny, perfectly
rounded cones with that beautiful bloom, surrounded by sweeping
tendrils that look so fragile. So when God said, “Look” I did so
with fascination, asking, “Okay. What?”
“Where have you found these?” He
asked.
“Pretty much from the East to the
West,” I responded.
His next question was two-part, “How
did they get there, and did they have anything to do with it?”
I realized He was painting me into a
corner, “The wind and the birds scatter the seeds, Lord. And no,
the thistle has no control over it.” Then before He could ask, I
added, “And no, it doesn’t worry about how it will
propagate.”
“So why is it we keep having this
discussion?” He gently admonished.
“Because I’m slow to trust that
You’ll do what’s best,” I answered, knowing He wasn’t quite
done.
“Everything without self-will serves
its created purpose. A life of self-will, yielded wholly to Me, can
do the same.” Then He added, “There’s a lot less stress
involved.”
What could I say? Kneeling on the spot,
I committed to simplicity, “I pledge right now, LORD,
to just be a thistle, leaving the seeds I bear in Your hands for the
scattering.”
†
We should care about the witness we
share with the world…we should not be concerned in the how
or where of that witness.
Jesus, in today's text, instructed the
Disciples to make up their minds ahead of time to not worry about
what they’d say when tested, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak
through them. Having heeded Jesus' instruction, the Disciple's words
carried power and truth.
This directive applies to our
witness as well. A life wholly yielded to God, daily giving Him our
cares and concerns, empowers us with confidence through His Holy
Spirit. And then, just like the thistle, God can direct us to the
people and places we are meant to witness to.
Prayer
“I’ve made up my mind,
LORD. I’m Your thistle. Lead on. Amen.”
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