Have you ever felt like you were in the bushes, and those bushes were created from your lack of faith? I have, and as Andra and I were riding around this morning, I noticed some beautiful oak trees on the side of the road. The trees were about 10 feet apart, and they were strong-looking trees that were about 3 ft in circumference. Something was compromising the pure beauty of those trees, and it was little bushes that had long since gotten out of hand, and they looked very "trashy." I told Andra, "Those trees would look so much better if those people would trim those bushes out between the trees." She agreed, and God brought to mind that compromise in the care of keeping those bushes under control lessened the beauty of the trees. What a lesson for my life.
Fact: I am a child of God per 1 John 3:1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. To be described and given the identity that we are children of God is far more powerful than I realize at times. I sometimes don't care for my heart as much as I need to, and I find there are bushes sprouting in my life. If I don't take care of them, they will begin to compromise the person God has created me to be. I am born again, and I am destined for greatness by a loving and caring Father who has given me an abundant life. The Psalmist wrote this in Psalm 1: 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Our God gives us living water that defies thirst when He comes into our lives. That water is meant to keep us producing fruit and produce growth in our faith walk. Compromise will every time let the trashy bushes grow up and try to compromise the majesty of the oak tree God has made us to be. God is watering and we must be growing stronger and stronger, thus producing great fruit in a very apathetic and compromised world. Satan wants us to be weak and have trashy bushes in our lives, so the effect God has through each of us is compromised and not as effective. Praise God for conviction by the Holy Spirit. That conviction shows us the beginning of "bush growth" in our lives, and we readily understand that we need to guard our hearts from satan's trash. The trashy bushes include a faith that is more half-believing faith than the faith we are to have in God. If those bushes are not dealt with then our faith weakens even more and what should be mighty oaks are compromised. God is watering us but we are letting that water be used to grow the bushes. So silly for that to happen, but it does.
What's an oak to do? God spoke a great word to the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 61: 3 To grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. God is the "bush cutter" to keep us on track and also cause us to continue to soar and not faint. We need to "plug into" His source, and He will begin to cut out those bushes with His spiritual chain saw so the oak can once again be what it was meant to be, a majestic, beautiful oak that shows what kind of roots it is built on. We are rooted in Jesus, and our roots will hold in all situations, but the bushes can compromise the tree's look.
We can trust God to "trim the bushes" and keep on growing who we are, and the writer of Lamentations realized this great truth. Lamentations 3:22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
Put your trust in God, ask Him to trim the bushes, follow His Word, and most of all, Guard your heart! In Summary: COME BACK TO GOD!!
Vesselogical Out,
David Warren
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