Sep
20
2019
The Weed
Posted in Repentance 2 Comments
I had to pull the weed.
It was growing in the mulch bed that I can see from my side porch.
I have pulled the weed before, numerous times.
It just keeps coming back.
It’s futile, I think to myself.
Then I remind myself that it will just take a little effort.
I might need to dig the weed out.
Pulling it with my gloved hand may not be enough.
The weeds that are so insidious through the spring and summer are not as prevalent.
Now, the weeds are really the beginning of a walnut tree from nuts the squirrels buried.
This weed kept getting taller and taller.
It had to go.
I looked at it as I sat on the porch swing.
Growing next to the weed, that would be a walnut tree, was something with shiny leaves.
I knew that leaf.
Gloves were mandatory.
I finally went over to that mulch bed with my gloves on.
I pulled the weed and removed it.
However, it broke off at the level of the soil.
I knew that the root was still intact below.
I did not have time to go back to the garage for a small garden shovel.
I pulled the weed out the best I could.
I could still see a few tiny twigs protruding from the soil.
I am certain that before the frost comes, the weed, that would be a walnut tree, will be back.
That is the things about weeds.
They have roots.
Even when we remove the weed and think we got it all, we are probably mistaken.
Roots go down deep.
Integrative medicine does not just treat the symptoms.
Integrative medicine tries to discover the root cause.
Symptoms are manifestations of something that is an underlying problem.
The weed may appear to be gone but the root is still there.
I thought of that root all day as I did my errands.
I thought of the root under the ground, waiting.
Just enough rain, just enough sunlight, just the right temperature and it will be back.
It will be back stronger than ever.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:2-7)
I thought of all the things we think we nipped in the bud.
I thought of all the things we think we have hidden from others.
We pull out the obvious weeds in our life.
To everyone who looks at us, we seem sparkling clean.
However, there are roots.
The roots of sin go do deep.
God told Cain, who killed his brother Abel, that sin was crouching at his door.
Sin desired to have him and Cain was told that he must master it.
God is telling us the same thing.
It is not enough for us to simply clean up the appearance of our lives.
That clean up will only last for a short time.
If we do not want the mess to reappear, we have to get at the root.
Sin lies and waits.
When Jesus was tempted, He responded to Satan’s temptations with the Word of God.
The Word of God forces the devil to flee.
However, we know that Satan will be back.
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13)
Jesus overcame Satan’s lies and temptations by the truth of the Word of God.
The Word of God is our defensive weapon.
The Word of God is also our offensive weapon.
The Word of God is how we master the sin that crouches at our door.
The Word of God goes down deep.
The devil waits for an opportune time.
We are ready with our Sword, which is the Word of God.
The Sword digs out the root of sin so that the fruit of the Spirit will grow.
Have you done any weeding lately?
Thank you for this most appropriate warning Gina.
This is for all of us, Paula.
Weeding out those things in our life is never easy but oh, so necessary.
Gina