A dear friend of mine, Ron Walker, who passed away years ago, was one of the men of God that the Lord put in my life. I remember he was a vibrant part of my journey, growing up as a young christian. One day we were walking in a forest and there was a tree that had fallen over nearby. Ron paused and looked at me and said, "Andy, what do you see when you look at this fallen tree? What is God showing you about it?"
I looked at it and replied, "It's just a tree that's fallen over." He shook his head and said, "No, I mean, what is God teaching you about it and what do you see beyond the obvious?"
Looking more carefully this time I said, "It appears to have died and fallen over." He smiled and said, "Andy, there was a time when this tree stood upright, tall and proud. Maybe families would come and have a picnic under it's shade. Children would find joy climbing in it's branches. All along though, there was a disease inside it. It was slowly rotting away from within, day by day being consumed until one day it snapped. People probably talked about how the tree they had once enjoyed had fallen. Then as they began to look inside, they could see it had been rotting away for a long time."
As I look back at that talk we had, I can't help but reflect upon the reality of truth in that analogy that I have seen in so many peoples lives. Oftentimes in our journey the danger is in the little things that consume us from within over time. Small compromises with sin and darkness until before we know it, we are being destroyed from within. The destruction that seems to come suddenly in peoples lives had been working in them already for a long time.
If you find yourself in such a place, begin to cry out to the Lord with a simple prayer of repentance. Begin to take thoughts captive and ask the Lord to help you as make better choices for your spiritual well being.
Do all you can to safeguard your life from compromise and to encourage yourself in the Lord and in His word.
As you agree with God and keep coming to the light, God will bless your efforts because He is for you in this journey. Even the simplest prayer and smallest steps in the right direction can keep your feet on the path of a healthy walk with Christ.
Watch over your heart with all diligence,For from it flow the springs of life.Proverbs 4:23 NASB
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