Deceitful

Do you recognize this plant? I'm not sure what the real name for it is, but all my life I've heard people call them devil weed. So, because I do not know the specific plant name, we'll just call it that.

The other day I took my grandson out to the back yard to play. He loves playing in the dirt, raking the leaves, and just basically being out in the sunshine. My back yard is a woody area and there are many of these plants growing wild. Jacob spotted the flower and was attracted to the plant, wanting to pick the flower. I was trying to explain to Jacob how they may look pretty, but these plants can be very hurtful if you touch them. They will make you itch like crazy!

As I was thinking about the plant and its deceptive flower perched there on the top, I was reminded of just how easy it is to be deceived. By people, but also by the things this world has to offer. Fame, fortune, popularity, etc. While all of these seem to be something that will make you happy, they cannot truly live up to that. They may bring you some semblence of happiness for a time. But there will come a day when you realize that things lose their luster, and they will be nothing more than a hollow substitute for true happiness. So where do we find this true happiness? In Jesus. But before you go assuming that accepting Jesus means your life will be a life without trials or tribulations, let me say that this just isn't the case. In fact, James 1 tells us to count it all joy when we face trials. These things will produce patience, among other things. So, this tells me that even though we don't like going through bad things, we can learn something in the midst of them. They can help us develop maturity in our walk with Jesus. We can be strengthened in our faith. I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking of Jesus as a quick fix to all your troubles, but Jesus can offer peace even in the trials. This peace comes when we have that intimate relationship with Him, knowing the nature and character of God, and knowing what He has promised. This knowing doesn't come through osmosis, however. We have to seek to know Him through the reading of His word and through prayer. How can a person develop a relationship with someone unless they spend time with them? We talk to them and we listen when they talk to us.

John 16:33 says: These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."