Monthly Archives: September 2025

Proverbs 24:30-31 says, “I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man lacking understanding and common sense; And, behold, it was all overgrown with thorns, And nettles were covering its surface, And its stone wall was broken down” (AMP). Like many proverbs, this can be taken at face value for what it is. However, many scholars believe it is intended as a parable as well. Some say this is a person who doesn’t take care of his soul. The thorns are bad habits, the nettles are wrong companions and the broken down wall is lack of following God’s plan leaving our lives defenseless. Either way you look at this, there’s something to learn.

In 2 Samuel 11, it was the time when kings went to war. They would go and fight to take each others crops to feed their people. Yet, the Bible says that David stayed home. He was neglecting his duty as king and allowing someone else to do the work. When the battle was all but won, David would show up and claim the victory. In this instance, he was wasn’t where he was supposed to be, nor doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was home walking on his roof when he saw Bathsheba. His spiritual walls were broken down and he sinned. Then, he thought he could cover up her pregnancy, but ended up murdering her husband when he refused to neglect his responsibilities. David’s lack of care for his field and vineyard cost him dearly. Thankfully he repented in Psalm 51 and asked for a renewed heart, steadfast and willing spirit, as well as joy so he could go back to tending his soul.

In Luke 21:36 Jesus warned, “Keep a constant watch over your soul, and pray for the courage and grace to prevail over these things that are destined to occur and that you will stand before the presence of the Son of Man with a clear conscience” (TPT). You and I can’t afford to neglect our soul. We must keep watch over it and tend it. We have an enemy who is seeking to devour us. When we neglect the little things around our soul, we create big problems for ourselves. The people we’re around and the habits we create will either build our defenses or allow them to be broken down. If you find that your walls are broken down and you’ve neglected what matters, be like David. Repent and seek forgiveness from God. He is able to restore the broken places in your life.

Photo by Harli Marten on Unsplash

As my wife and I were driving through our neighborhood recently, she noticed a tattered, blue tarp on a roof. She asked, “Do they still have a FEMA tarp on their roof? I think they’ve had that since Hurricane Harvey. That was eight years ago!” By the looks of it, I believe it has been on their roof since Harvey. She then asked, “Why haven’t they gotten it repaired yet? They had to have insurance. Aren’t they embarrassed to still have it up there? How could they go this long?” I don’t know any of those answers, but it is very indicative of human nature to grow accustomed to living in disrepair or in a mess.

In the book of Nehemiah Israel had been captured and taken to Babylon. Ninety years before the story in this book, about 50,000 had moved back to Jerusalem while the others stayed in Babylon. When someone returned from visiting Jerusalem, Nehemiah asked how things were in Jerusalem. They told him that the walls were still down and the gates had been burned with fire. Nehemiah wept at how they were still living with broken walls. They were living in a city that was vulnerable, exposed and incomplete. Instead of thriving, they had grown accustomed to living in the ruble and brokenness. Nehemiah went to Jerusalem, encouraged the people there and helped them rebuild the walls.

Nehemiah 2:18 says, “I told them how God had been with me and helped me, and what the emperor had said to me. They responded, ‘Let’s start rebuilding!’ And they got ready to start the work” (GNT). What does your life look like? Have you grown accustomed to living with broken down walls? Have you put a patch on the issue and just learned to live with it? God wants to work with you to rebuild the walls of your life. He’s calling you to rise up, to rebuild and to step into restoration. He wants you to break free from living in complacency with the problem. He will strengthen you for the work, but you must rise up and start rebuilding.

Photo by Jelle Buurman on Unsplash

If you’ve never read “Love Does” by Bob Goff, you’re missing out. I call him “God’s Yes Man.” This book is full of crazy stories of what happens when you believe everything circumstance and interaction is an opportunity to be a blessing. He sent a key to his home to every world leader, and some have taken him up on it. He also became a lawyer in a foreign country in order to free a prison full of boys falsely accused, took the door off the prison and shipped it to the US. The stories in this book are a reminder that being a blessing isn’t about convenience, but availability. It also shows that you don’t need a title or a stage to make a difference.

In the book of Acts, there’s the story of a man named Joseph who sold his field in order to give money to the Early Church to help them care for the poor. When Saul went from persecuting Christians to becoming one, it was Joseph who stood up for him when everyone else was scared. He was a blessing to the Church and to all who met him. In fact, the people quit calling him by his birth name and started calling him Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.” His character became his identity and is forever canonized in the Bible.

Galatians 6:10 says, “Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith!” (TPT) You don’t have to wait for big opportunities to come your way to be a blessing or to have a crowd. Most of the time, God gives us small settings to be a blessing. They happen on the job, at the store, on the road and everywhere in between. You don’t need to record them or put them on social media. A kind word, a smile and some encouragement are blessings you can give today. Start small and start looking at every interaction as an opportunity to be a blessing. You never know where God will take you when you give Him you’re availability to bless others through you.

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash