Julie Lavender

CONSIDER THE THISTLE
by Julie Lavender

On my walk with God today, I came around a curve and saw a gorgeous display of flowers ahead. Trouble was, with these contact-encased eyes that don’t see as well as I’d like, it became clear to me that the beauty ahead was indeed the blossoms of thistles.

Though still beautiful to admire, they’re off-limits to bare, human hands or skin for certain. What with the sharp prickles covering the outer edges of the leaves, the flat parts of the leaves, and the stems, too, one touch causes pain and irritation that lasts way longer than the brief encounter!

My visual-encounter-only with the thorn-laced beauties reminded me of God’s plan for a perfect world, as described in the book of Genesis. How breathtakingly stunning the Garden of Eden must have been!

Thorns and thistles and sins....oh my! 

Yet when the seeds of sin entered the world, thorns and thistles sprouted.

"It will produce thorns and thistles for you..."

God said to Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground.”  (Genesis 3:17-19 NIV)

The beauty of God's Sovereignty

In God’s Sovereignty, some animals benefit from thistle plants, namely certain fritillary butterflies and other insects that suck nectar from the flowers adorning the plant and goldfinches that seek out thistle seeds for munching.

The seeds of sin....

The urticating prickles, however, cause pain with human touch, and many thistles are just plain noxious weeds to cattle and are unpalatable to livestock. The hearty stalk is tough to get rid of once it sprouts in a farmer’s field, and sometimes any attempts to eliminate the weeds cause the seeds to disperse and cause even more eruptions of the plant.  

Pleasing to the eyes, yet harmful to the body

Pleasing to the eyes, yet irritating and hazardous when handled. Somewhat like the temptations and sins of this world.

When sin takes root...

When Adam and Eve disobeyed, sinful seeds dispersed, took root, and grew in hearty form. 

How could they do that, when the world they lived in was so beautiful? Was so perfect?

But then I felt God prickle my heart. How many seeds have I dispersed with my disobedience? I wonder what thistles I’ve caused to take root and grow heartily?  

What about me, God?

Dear God, Help me be obedient to you. Guard my heart so that no sin takes root and let my actions never cause thorns that mar your world.

What about you? What did God reveal to you this week through one of his creations?