The Curse Reversed

This last December we decided we needed a family dog. We anxiously anticipated our new member of the family and began to prepare. We got the dog house, puppy chow, dog dish, collar, leash, and even a book by the famous Dog Whisper. We turned our thoughts toward potty training and I surveyed our backyard, which is more the size of a field. Long past rainy season, it has dried out into a thorny patch of briers. I hated to think of puppy running around out there catching thorns in his paws and fur. I strapped on my gardening gloves. My shadow (Olivia), and I began to sing Christmas carols as we pulled the offending weeds. Whether consciously or not, I began to sing “Joy to the World,” and came to the verse
No more let sin and sorrow reign
Nor thorns infest the ground
Yes! I came into agreement with the song and prayer. Lord!, Get rid of these thorns and give me some grass for our puppy! By faith, I spoke God’s Word over my little territory. While I didn’t expect to wake up the next morning with our backyard looking like the garden of Eden, I did pray a sincere prayer. I enjoy watching the Kingdom of Heaven show up, (on earth as it is in heaven)! When the Kingdom of Heaven shows up, (Jesus), the curse becomes null and void. Jesus wore a crown of thorns on the cross, a symbol of the curse incurred in the garden of Eden. Yet the Good News is, for those who believe on Jesus, we can live under the blessing.  (Galations 3:13,14.) I like how Isaiah 55 puts it, talking about the redemptive affect of the Word of God on the earth.
Isaiah 55:13 (New International Version, ©2010)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
   and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown,
   for an everlasting sign,
   that will endure forever.”

Olivia and I realized the futility of our weed pulling not soon after, compared to the size of the yard. I threw down a blue tarp in one corner in an effort to kill off at least a corner of the weeds. It lay there over two weeks and I forgot about it, before the vet called and told us we could come pick up our puppy. On December 23rd, we drove as a family to get our beautiful little dog, Buddy the German Shepherd. He is a joyful addition to our family life here. I went out to the yard with him and lifted up the blue tarp. I was overjoyed to find a huge lush square of actual grass, an oasis in my barren yard! Perhaps the tarp had kept the dew from evaporating. Whatever the reason, God had answered my prayer of blessing over the land. I hope you will speak out a word of blessing over whatever territory God has given you. We can bring the promise and the blessings, to those who are harried and harassed by the curse. Blessings to you this New Year 2011.