Ephesians 5:13 – But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. (NKJV)

The two enormous poplars that we have tolerated in our backyard since we moved here late last year are gone! All that remains are the stumps and roots that have been exposed. These have caused the patio and part of the garden to heave, thereby making them unusable.

After many quotes to grind the stumps and shave the roots, we have settled on one quotation that is realistic, one that needed us to expose the larger, damaging roots. Then the company will come in and grind the stumps and shave down the roots, thus causing this last vestige of ugliness to disappear. I will be very relieved to see them go — they look as though they could easily rear up and grab a passerby. Nasty thought!

Deuteronomy 29:14a,18 – I make this covenant and this oath … so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God … and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness. (NKJV)

I liken the ugliness of the roots to the temptations of this world: twisted and almost macabre, eliminating all goodness in ethics and morals and always attempting to draw us ever closer to unimaginable horrors — if we let our guard down. Another nasty thought!

God offers us a completely different life: He can expose and clear away all that is not pure, clean, honest, or attractive in us, until all that is left is what is good to behold, good to hear, and good to be in the company of. Much like we detested the ugliness of the roots of the poplars, God knows the root of each of our undesirable ways or thoughts, and the best course of action to deal with them, making Him the best choice to invite in to eliminate them from our lives.

Prayer: Abba, You are the Creator of all that is good, and we invite You into our very hearts and souls, to begin to expose the roots of all things in our lives that are not of You. Help us to trust You and become what You would have us be. Amen.

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About the author:

Patricia Day <patday174@gmail.com>
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
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