Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled, Watering the Weeds, was written by Adam R. Holes.

This spring, weeds attacked our backyard, like something out of Jurassic Park.

One got so big that when I tried to pull it out,

I feared I might injure myself. Before I could find a spade to whack it down, I noticed that my

daughter was actually pouring water on it. Why are you watering the weeds, I exclaimed.

I want to see how big it will get, she replied with an impish grin.

Weeds aren't something we intentionally nourish, but as I thought about it, I realized that

sometimes we do water the weeds in our spiritual lives, feeding desires that strangle our

growth.

Paul writes about this in Galatians chapter 5,

verses 13 through 26, where he contrasts living by the flesh with living by the spirit.

He says, trying to follow the rules alone won't establish the kind of weed-free life we long for.

Instead, to avoid watering the weeds, he instructs us to walk

by the spirit. He adds that being in regular step with God is what frees us from the impulse

to gratify the desires of the flesh. It's a lifelong process to fully understand Paul's

teaching, but I love the simplicity of his guidance.

Instead of growing something unwanted by nourishing our own self-focused desires, when we're

cultivating our relationship with God, we grow fruit and reap the harvest of a godly life.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Galatians chapter 5 verses 13 through 26.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh.

Rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command. Love your neighbor as yourself. If you bite and devour each other, watch out,

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