Roto-Rooter

Welcome to Unseen. I had planned to post something different this morning, but when I was getting ready my old enemy resentment reared its ugly head. Deciding I might not be the only one that needed a reminder I decided to share this story on forgiveness.

Roto-Rooter

Let no root of bitterness spring up among you. Hebrews 10:5

We have all seen the public service announcements and ads for medicine on TV.”While I was building my life, plaque was building in my arteries According to my nurse friends plaque is a substance that sticks to the walls of our arteries. It keeps the blood from flowing freely, which can cause damage to the heart muscle and other tissues. It can prevent blood from getting to the brain, leading to problems with memory and speech. If a piece of plaque breaks off it can block the artery entirely  and cause a stroke if the blood is cut of from the brain. If it is cut off from the limbs, there is a danger of tissue death and even loss of the limb. Doctors use a variety of medicines to try and improve circulation and usually prescribe moderate exercise and diet change. However if the damage is too bad they are forced to resort to the infamous “roto-rooter surgery. A tiny balloon is inserted into the artery with a needle. When the balloon inflates it breaks away the plaque from the site of the blockage. The smaller pieces can then circulate harmlessly through the bloodstream.

This is not a public service announcement about our physical hearts. It is a public service announcement about our spiritual hearts. Many things can clog our spiritual heart, including guilt, shame and grief. The most common offender is resentment. Like plaque in our physical bodies, it can block the flow of God’s spirit. Personally it can damage our communication with God and cloud our judgment. In the church it has the potential to cut members off from each other, and without the connection to the rest of the body they can shrivel and even die spiritually.

What is God’s prescription for this ailment of resentment? Diet is one part of it. We are encouraged to desire the sincere milk of the word (1 Pet 2:2 and reminded that Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35. We must exercise our faith, Physical training is of some value but godliness has value for all things. , holding promise for this life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8) If this is not enough, we need to let God do radical work in us and take away the resentment for us. I did not believe it could happen but I have seen it in my life. RT Kendall , in his book Total Forgiveness, says that one thing that can bring about this change is when we desire communion with God more than we desire to see our enemy punished. I try to keep my resentment list short now, but I would be lying if I said it is not a continuous battle.

Resentment is one of the devil’s most destructive weapons. He will fan the flames of resentment and make it easier for us to be isolated and separated from God spirit and our spiritual family. This makes us all the more vulnerable to him. Watch your diet and exercise and if the Great Physician tell you it is time for Roto-rooter, take the chance.   

Hide and Seek

Welcome to the first Unseen of 2015. I hope your holiday was wonderful, and if it was not, I hope you are able to find the good in it. Which brings us to today's story. You're probably familiar with the "Happy Church Face" or maybe with what I call the "Swirling Vortex of Terror"(From Finding Nemo), That place where your thoughts whirl and gather steam until one nagging doubt becomes a raging storm. Both of these are responses to situations we want to hide from. Read on for lessons from a childhood game. 

Hide and Seek

The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved. Proverbs 18:10

5, 4, 3, 2, 1….. Ready or not, here I come! I heard her footsteps coming my way, and squeezed tighter into my hiding place. I tried not to make any noise, but it was hard. I heard a closet door open and hangers being scraped across the bar. Then I heard the closet door close and the footsteps coming closer. The door to my hiding place was open just a crack and I could see her tennis shoes. Cabinets and closets opened and closed. Then she turned around and left the other room, heading down the hall. I decided it was safe to try to get to base and carefully pushed open the door of my hiding place. I heard a creak and then footsteps running my way, and then the dreaded words. “I gotcha!” Hide and seek was so much fun, but we outgrew it, right?

The people in the Bible were good at hiding. It started with Adam and Eve, hiding from God in the garden (Genesis  ) . Moses hid from his secret in the desert of Midian.(Exodus) The angel found Gideon hiding in the wine press, and greeted him by saying, Hail, Mighty man of  valor.(Judges) Then David hiding from King Saul, and on and on.

I have two questions. What is your hiding place? Is it your happy church face? I like that one, myself. Maybe yours is drugs or alcohol, food, work or maybe even your bed.  Second, what are you hiding from? Is it past mistakes or secrets? Is it persecution or injustice? Is it temptation or sadness? Maybe it is responsibilities and success. Whatever you're hiding from and wherever you're hiding, the solution is the same. David knew the answer. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved(Proverbs 18:10). Psalms 17:8 says Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 64:7 we read, "Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers. Throughout the Psalms and prophets we find God urging us to hide in Him and rest in Him, instead of hiding from him. Listen, and you can hear the Lord of Heaven and Earth say, "I gotcha"!