Poisonous Root

"Make sure there is no man or woman,

clan or tribe among you today

whose heart turns away from the LORD our God

to go and worship the gods of those nations;

make sure there is no root among you that produces

such bitter poison.

When such a person hears the words of this oath

and they invoke a blessing on themselves,

thinking, 'I will be safe,

even though I persist in going my own way,'

they will bring disaster on the watered land

as well as the dry."

It seems harsh.  The heart of God is relationship, so when sin damages a bond between members of the body of Christ, I am to lovingly pursue reconciliation.  The process laid out in Matthew 18:15-20 requires community involvement.  There is always the risk that my thinking is selfish so if I seek the godly counsel of others and they agree, I avoid the risk of pursuing my own agenda.  There is also the risk that I form a mob to come against my brother or sister so my heart must be bent on reconciliation, not retribution or revenge. 

If all the required steps have been taken and still there is no agreement, then the offending child of God must be treated as an outsider, removed from the fellowship of His people.  Why would God require such action when He is a God who goes after the lost sheep?

The answer is found in today's passage.  While God is merciful and gracious, He is also holy.  His concern is for the sanctity of His people and He knows how easy it is for us to go astray.  We, like sheep, tend to wander, especially if those around us are compromising  (Isaiah 53:6).  Consequently, God warned His people in today's passage of the prideful heart that thinks he's safe even in his disobedience and defiance.  This line of thinking pollutes the holiness of God's people and puts the whole Body at risk of turning away from the Lord and His ways.

What poisonous root do I tolerate in my life?

Sin

A mistake.

A misstep.

A blunder.

An error.

It's easy to minimize sin, labeling it as something other than what it is: defiance toward holy God and His holy ways.  I often do this when I don't want to face the facts.  Sin is destructive and dangerous.  When I allow an area of sin to remain in my life, I am putting my own desires above God's.  I am placing my own pleasure higher than God's plan for my life.  I am making a mockery of the sacrifice Jesus became on the cross.

When I downplay the sin of which God has convicted my heart, it is as if I am spitting in the face of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He bore the wrath of His Father, an unimaginable nightmare of the worst kind, to conquer sin for His people.  Why should I then invite it in, growing comfortable with the very thing that requires death as a punishment?

If I am to remove such a poisonous root in my own life, I must be careful to not tolerate sin.  When God opens my eyes to my tendency to gossip, for example, and I sense His gentle nudge as I begin to share with a friend a tasty morsel disguised as a prayer update, I would be wise to stop the flow of words immediately.  

Or if God reveals my issue with fudging the truth to avoid conflict and I'm on the verge of using the destructive tactic once again, I would be wise to instead speak the truth in love, pointing all involved in the disagreement to the common ground of the Gospel (Ephesians 4:15).

Or for the time when God makes clear my inclination to indulge in worldly entertainment that dishonors His holy name and desensitizes my heart, I would be wise to take every step necessary to avoid such temptations.

I am at risk of cultivating a poisonous root that could infect the Body of Christ when I become comfortable with sin in my life.

Self-Sufficiency

When my daughters were young, my goal for them was that they would become self-sufficient and independent.  I envisioned them going out into the world and earning success in whatever field they pursued.  As they grew, however, my relationship with God matured and I learned more about Him and His ways.  

Soon I discovered that He doesn't want me to rely on my own strength at all, nor does He care for me to go after selfish pursuits.  Instead, His desire is for me to be dependent upon Him for all my needs and to pursue righteousness and His kingdom. Boy, did I have it backwards (Matthew 6:33, 2 Timothy 2:22, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)!

I live in a world that preaches self-sufficiency.  I am bombarded with messages that tell me to overcome, that I can do whatever I put my mind to, and that I can pull myself up by my own bootstraps.  Basically, I'm told that I have what it takes inside of me to reach the stars.

In reality, there is nothing good within me and relying on myself is kind of like the blind leading the blind.  If I really want to succeed in life, then, I will need to seek God with all of my heart, waiting on Him and His provision (Jeremiah 29:11-13, Isaiah 40:31). He holds the key to unlock the blueprint for my life, so I will never find a sense of purpose until I come into a relationship with Him, letting Him take the lead.

That means I will need to diligently turn away from my own desire to be the master of my own destiny and turn toward my true Master. I will need to fight the urge to make things happen and instead wait on His perfect timing. I will need to stop looking for escape routes and solutions and start fixing my eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).

I am at risk of cultivating a poisonous root that could infect the Body of Christ when I rely on my own strength and understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Sense

I ignored the advice offered by several godly people because it didn't make sense to me.  After a couple of years, a friend spoke the same wisdom but this time I paid attention because she also provided additional enlightenment.  I never recognized the value of the advice until it made sense to me.

I struggle with obeying without understanding.  If something doesn't make sense to me, I tend to balk.  This is a problem when it comes to my relationship with God.  I'm kind of like the African impala who has an innate ability to jump great heights, but only if it can see where his feet will land.  If I only do what makes sense to me, I miss out on many of the blessings that come with obeying a God whose ways are unfathomable (Isaiah 55:8-9).

It takes faith to blindly go where God is leading.  In fact, I would even say this is the definition of faith; stepping forward without knowing where the path will lead me. Hebrews 11:1 gives a great description of faith.  "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (NLT).

To boldly follow God's lead when He calls me to take a risk means I must believe He knows what He's doing even when I can't see a foot in front of me.  Other times He may inspire me to go beyond my own natural abilities, volunteering for a job that is outside my normal parameters. Then there are the times when He sends a hailstorm of trials and tribulations, challenging me to trust Him to guide me through the onslaught.

I am at risk of cultivating a poisonous root that could infect the Body of Christ when I limit my faith to only what I understand.

Poison is deadly and ruthless, infecting all who come in contact.  When I become comfortable with sin, take on an attitude of self-sufficiency and rely on my own common sense, I am allowing a poisonous root to take hold in my heart.  When I do so, I am placing the Body of Christ at risk.  Therefore, it is in my own best interest as well as that of my brothers and sisters that I guard against such corruption.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my heart open to God, allowing Him to examine every nook and cranny.

When do I stubbornly refuse to turn away from sin?

How am I relying on my own common sense instead of trusting in God's higher ways?



Originally published on February 12, 2014

Progression of Dependence

"The LORD is my strength and my defense;

he has become my salvation."

Psalm 118:14

As I came up out of the water, I had a feeling that something was different, that I was brand new.  In my young mind there was a hope for the future, a realization that I was made for more than simply living for myself.  I was excited about this great adventure that stood before me.  

I didn't start this journey of faith knowing completely of my great need for Jesus.  Instead, I had a vague inkling that something was missing, that I wasn't complete, that I needed more than what was in me.  I was drawn to Jesus as my salvation, but I didn't fully know the depth of my depravity, how much I needed His rescue.  Little by little, He shows me how desperately I need Him, how lost I am on my own.  There is a progression of my dependence on Him.

Discipline.  I have much to learn.  My wrong thinking, harmful habits, and destructive ways are exposed through hardships in my life.  God uses the tough times to root out what doesn't belong in me as His child.  The crises, suffering and painful experiences are like a chisel in His loving hand as He expertly carves away all that is impure and which distracts from Jesus (Hebrews 12:10-11).  As hard as it is to go through such discipline, God does not take me to the point of death (v 18).  Instead, He always leaves something to work with, a remnant upon which to build.

Nebuchadnezzar was a man who thought quite highly of himself.  In fact, he was so arrogant as the king of Babylon that he worshiped himself as if he were God.  As a result, God used a radical experience to humble him.  But as the prophetic dream foretold, he would not be completely destroyed, but a "stump" would be left upon which his new, humble life would be built (Daniel 4).  In Christ, there is always hope for such restoration.

As a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I experience His loving discipline that works to make less of me and more of Him.

Open Gate.  At first I think it's something I've done right, a good choice I've made to get on the right path, a smart decision to follow Jesus.  As I'm humbled, I begin to see more clearly as the fog of my self-centered flesh is cleared away.  While I think I found the narrow path that leads to life, I come to realize that it was Jesus who made such a journey possible (Matthew 7:14).  Even though it was I who walked through the gate, He Himself is the Gate through which I enter onto such a sacred path of suffering, and it was His Light that illuminated the way (John 8:12, 10:7-10) .

Only the righteous walk there, yet I am welcomed, ushered through as if I belong.  How could this be? I wonder as I look at my own tarnished clothing.  But no, I am suddenly without blemish, white as snow, clean as fresh linen, cleansed by the blood of Jesus who is my salvation.  Through faith in Him I now belong.  I am saved from the old life, the destructive path.  The Gate that is Jesus was opened up to me so that I could enter through and walk on the Highway of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8).

As a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I enter through the open Gate that leads me to a place I thought I'd never belong, where my sins are washed away.

His Hand.  Anteaters have a keen sense of smell.  While they have wonderful olfactory organs, there is only one thing they care to sniff out with their unique snouts and that is their delicious diet: ants and termites.  These funny-looking creatures can eat up to 35,000 of the tiny insects each day.  I guess you could say they only have noses for bugs.

In the same way that the Anteater can quickly hone in on their tasty meals, I can become just as adept at recognizing God's hand at work in my life.  As I grow closer to Him, I begin to see how prevalent is His work.  It comes to my attention that it has really been Him all along who has beautifully orchestrated my life, guiding me toward the Truth and overflowing my life with the good things I didn't always recognize as beneficial.  It was Him all along.  I thought I played a role, but I am completely at His mercy, quite a good place to be!

As a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I begin to develop my ability to see the scope of God's handiwork throughout my life, leading me to rejoice in Him!

I began the journey with Christ as an ignorant babe who foolishly thought I was pretty good on my own, just needing a bit of help now and then.  As I am taken through periods of discipline where my sinful ways are purged, I find the rocky path difficult to negotiate but grow more and more sensitive to God's good work all around me.  As I follow this progression of dependence, I rejoice in my position as His helpless child who is dearly loved by her Father.  He has become my salvation.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to walk through the rocky path He will use for His glory.

When do I fail to see His handiwork, only seeing the harshness of life?

How am I ignorant of His lifelong romance as He gently and lovingly led me toward life?