Upon finding our home in Ireland, we quickly noticed that we had a strawberry patch already developed in the back garden. It was winter time, but the anticipation set in of what was to come. We researched what maintenance would be best for the kind of strawberry patch we had before Spring arrived. Slowly we began to see a change. First it was the buds of the flowers. Then came the blooms of the flowers, and finally the fruit!
Excitement of eating our very own strawberries was in all of the family. We watched the strawberries grow in size and darken in color. Plans of making strawberry jams, pies, breads were on the brain. The day arrived when we thought we would take our first pick.
We gathered a bucket to collect the strawberries and the family headed out only to find that the largest, most ripened strawberries were already eaten by none other than bugs! We stayed optimistic and thought maybe it was just these first few that we found. To our dismay, the bugs had the first pick long before our day of delight. Our reaction was to research what we could do now to the patch in hope of saving the strawberries to come. From what we could find, there really wasn't a good method of defense on our part with a strawberry patch low to the ground without using chemicals.After a few days of this discovery, the thought came to mind, "How grateful I am that God has given His children the means to defend the enemy!" His Word is our line of defense. As we read the Word of God, we not only equip ourselves to fight against the enemy, we become more aware of the enemy before the fight. We do not have to live helpless awaiting the enemy to devour us. God has blessed us with His Word!!
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12
