🕊️ Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. 🕊️

James 1:12-13

If we are a kind of first fruit of His labor, boy it’s taken Him a lot of patience and love, to care for that garden. I can imaging what He means about having “weeds” sown amongst the good seed. We see this daily amongst our children and even more so amongst adults in and around us on every side!

Our challenge, is not always straight forward and may yet await us at any moment. Our Father has seen the plight of His creation, and our only desire is to please ‘Self’, and how we are a stiff-necked people.

So, given now that He put His Laws in our hearts and minds to follow, we should know better, yet we still have fallen short of being His firstfruit 🍎 or best effort.

I’ve lost 2 sons now and I know grief!

I can only imagine how our Father and our Creator grieved, giving up His only son, so we might find adoption as His children, and we might seek and find Him in and amongst the weeds, and live.

Thank you Lord, for Your sacrifice to give us hope, and Your patience and Your Love, paving a path for us back to paradise with you. May we shine Your light this day, in and through all we say and do, in Jesus’ name, Amen!