Cacophony of Silence

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 13:24-26, 28 NLT “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew…. ‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.’”

THOUGHT: Sometimes the enemy of our souls is loud and proud, the weed-planting is in-your-face abuse. But sometimes the setup is long and silent. The enemy waits until no one is looking, and under cover of darkness slips in and silently sows his weeds Everyone has a slow story. Abandonment. Betrayal. Lies. Manipulation. Deep disappointment. Followed by temptations to bitterness, jealousy, anger, depression, self-contempt, contempt for others, hopelessness, powerlessness, coping mechanisms and/or addictions.

To a hungry heart, any bitter thing is sweet (Proverbs 27:7). We take a bite, and the weeds begin to grow in fertile soil. It might take years, and we might not even realize it’s happening until the day they threaten to choke the good seed of our lives.

They say silence is violence, and no less so for the enemy of our souls. When the intention is maximum harm to a child God loves (everyone), it’s sometimes best to work quietly in the dark, then slip away, leaving your victim to struggle in a confusing cacophony of silence.

PRAYER: Oh God, I see that crop of weeds in the world, but I also see them growing in me. You tended the soil, made it rich and ready, and the weeds like that as well as the crops. Please enter the confused cacophony of my heart, where your word and promises clash and bang against the lies of our enemy. Help me hear and trust your voice above the noise.