Ah – the Sticky weed!!!!!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galium_aparine

My friend from a church event in the spring found small sprigs of this plant “sticky weed” or “cleavers” Galium aparine, and in childlike fashion, playfully slyfully attached the sprigs to various people’s backs (and someone got her too) – and we all laughed… Classic fun with no harm – because a sticky plant is just that – sticky. 

Wouldn’t you know, that EVERYWHERE I now see this sticky plant, and the weather must be so good that behind my shed I found the LARGEST growth – about three foot by two foot high – wow – and in my effort to clear the chaos behind the shed – I grabbed it all and bundled it and got so attached to not just the leaves but now the small hitchhiker balls of seeds – yeah – sticky…  Every time I see sticky weed I remember my friend, her joy, her playfulness, and that sticky-ness is what Jesus wants to be to us. Not just sticky but INSIDE the VINE of His Strength and His Power. (John 15)

Jesus is here for many reasons – the ultimate one of saving us – and He is here to help us – to be that source of our strength: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

I have also been trying hard to remove the burdock leaves in my yard as those make the HUGE hitchhikers – and we should marvel that both of these plants are native and “smart” adapted plants to end their seeds around place to place. My cleaning is dual purpose – to clean up and to get to an unfortunate other good growing plant – the BIG patch of poison ivy – ugh…  I found my bottle of spray killer and am going to spray that now that I can see it. And that is also devotional – the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13) – that good and bad exist in the world, but Jesus will pick out the good at the end of days for the Kingdom…  “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom…”

Now granted both these plants are weeds to me but a food source to other animals – even the sticky weed or broad sized burdock leaves must be a nice shade for the critters below. I actually take a burdock leaf and use it like a glove over my glove to pull out harmful purple nightshade vines – but the poison ivy? I am grateful to the sticky weed in that it overgrew and blocked out the sun to the poison ivy… But now I will leave that removal to the weed killer. And MOST importantly, the tares of the evil in this world? I will leave that to Jesus to remove – and just keep moving…

Yes – let us save the hard stuff for Jesus and we do the good sticky stuff – SHARE THE LOVE – Share the stickiness of LOVE – with others – with ourselves in grace – and keep moving…

“Love is patient, is kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not easily angered, always protects trusts hopes perseveres. LOVE NEVER FAILS” 1 Cor 13

Consider yourself tagged with Jesus now go spread Him – spread the LOVE!  

AMEN

(PS – this is a sticky devotion – so if you would like, I invite you all to reply back in a comment and give me a devotion or a thought about Jesus sticking with you and with us – and also strengthening us – and also removing the poison ivy in our lives or at least making us aware of it… THANKS! )

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John 15:1-12 NJKV

Jesus said: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you…”

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Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 NKJV

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. …Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”