Aphids and Sin
By Katherine Kehler
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“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.� Proverbs 4:23
- Image by Fire Engine Red via Flickr
What a delight it was to drive into our yard after a three-week ministry trip. My eyes drank in the colorful, beautiful flower beds and I gave my inward approval. They had been well looked after. They were alive and vibrant with color, a wonderful contrast to the lush green lawn surrounding them. I was content. Working in our flower garden, watching them grow, planting and pruning has always been therapeutic for me. The artist in me finds expression in gardening.
Even before unpacking, I walked around the garden, checking the flowers. I noticed two specimens that didn’t look healthy. Their stems and leaves were drooping and the flowers weren't developing like they should have.
On closer observation, I noticed their stems were covered with aphids. These aphids were sucking the life out of the plants. One flower, the nasturtium, had black aphids–easy to notice against the green stem. The other flower, the dahlia, also had black aphids and had I not looked real close, I would not have noticed them on the black stem. I needed to rid these plants of their life-sucking problems so they could again become healthy.
Upon reflection, I thought to myself: our hearts are like that. Sometimes we feel so listless, we don’t seem to be growing. It could very well be that we have sin in our hearts. David noted in Psalm 32: 3-4 , “When I kept silent (about my sin), my bones wasted away . . . My spirit strength was sapped.�
Taking a lesson from the aphids, I concluded that sometimes sins are easy to determine: yelling or snapping at the children, our spouse or slow drivers, stealing small things from work, lying, gossiping. These are like the black aphids on the green stems of the Nastursiums–easily visible.
However, some sins that drain us of Life are not so outwardly noticeable. Sins like disobedience to the Lord's prompting, critical attitudes that are not voiced but are festering in our hearts, impure thoughts, lack of love, lack of prayer, bitterness, withholding information. These sins (closet sins) are more like the black aphids on the black stems of the dahlias. Not seen by others, but draining the Life out of us.
Take a moment to check your heart today. Do you have sins in your life (noticeable and secret) that need to be confessed? I encourage you to do so right now. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.� When you have done that--ask the Holy Spirit to take control again and empower you to lead a life of joy, peace and love.
Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit, Your Word.. Thank you for convicting us of sin, and then forgiving our sin and empowering us to live a life of joy, peace and love. Help us guard our hearts. In Jesus Name, Amen.
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/06/kk_aphids/
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Tags: Christianity, confess, guard, heart, hidden sin, Holy Spirit, Jesus, life, lord, Psalms, Religion and Spirituality, wellspring
July 6th, 2009 at 9:33 am
[...] who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. I was meditating Aphids and Sin – thoughts-about-god.com 07/06/2009 By Katherine Kehler [...]
July 6th, 2009 at 10:40 am
This is a comforting as well as an awakening devotional.
It's true as the Scripture says, 'the heart is the wellspring of life.'
It consists of springs of Good and Evil.
And often we find ourselves in the midst of the Garden of Eden always tempted to go for the banned spring.
Satiating our thirst with the easy and sweet water we prefer, for its carnal atraction, knowing not it will drain our lives like the Aphids.
Thank you Ms.Katherine, God bless you richly.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:28 am
Thx Katherine , 4 the devotion on aphids.
There are sins so small that we can't even notice but they eat us inside out, like critical atitudes that are not voice, one may think that sin is only sin when its seen or heared by others but i thank the lord for the holy spirit that convicts us of sin so we can repent and be free.
may the Lord continue using u to bless others thru the devotions.