The hundred-foot ash tree along our driveway was dead and needed to be cut down. I'd put it off because of the expense, but finally, I called the tree surgeon.
"What caused the tree to die?" I asked.
The tree surgeon removed his hat and scratched the top of his head. "It's that dreaded emerald ash borer. It's kept us busy day and night. This has to come down now. It's dangerous."
As I watched the crew cut and lower the brittle branches to the ground, an unexpected thought came to me, "Listen to the message in the trees." I was baffled at first. But as I studied the emerald ash borer, I understood that thought was the Lord alerting me to something.
An ash borer is the size of a single grain of rice! Yet, it can bring down an entire tree. The beetles are not native to the United States. It is believed that they arrived through the Great Lakes on pallets from China. The bugs look for any tiny opening to get inside the tree and lay their larvae. The nutrients traveling up from the tree's roots are eventually blocked, and the tree will start to die from the top down.
The life of the tree is in danger long before any damage is visible on the outside.
I immediately thought of Proverbs 4:23, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." The King James version says to "keep" your heart for out of it "flows the issues of life." The word "issues" means boundaries, borders, and deliverances.
Let's think about that for a moment. A border is meant to keep out what is not wanted. Just as a country must guard their borders to protect the people inside, we must guard what comes in and out of our lives to protect our hearts. That includes all aspects of life: body, soul, and spirit.
I look at the dessert table at church and I think, Just a taste...just one won't hurt me...just this once... The "just" doesn't justify doing something that can harm my health.
God wants us to flourish in every area. But we must be the gatekeepers of our heart. What comes in and what comes out is our choice. We must keep out those nasty "ash borer" intruders such as anxiety, unbelief, unforgiveness, and offense, to name a few. If left to fester, they will hinder our relationship with the Lord.
Many churchgoers today are at risk of becoming spiritually indifferent and complacent. That's the definition of the word "lukewarm" mentioned in Revelations 3:16. I've heard people say, "Church just doesn't do it for me anymore." "We haven't gone back to church since the pandemic." and "The Bible is outdated."
"But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Rev 3:16 NLT).
How do I guard my heart?
Confess the way you feel to the Lord. Ask Him to bring you a spiritual revival.
2. Stay grounded in the Word
Read your Bible.
I strongly suggest limiting online Bible reading. Computers, phones, wi-fi, all emit EMFs that are being studied for their effect on the brain. The internet is robbing us of solitude. When you sit down with a print Bible, with all your technology turned off, you stand a chance of hearing from God. It's like stepping out of the storm. Technology has its place, and we must KEEP it in its place. It's highly addictive.
3. Intentional thinking.
Ask God to increase your discernment.
Ask yourself: Do my thoughts line up with the truth of God's word?
Where is that negative thought coming from?
Will believing that thought help me or hinder me?
Do I want that to take root in my heart?
I hope this teaching will help you on your journey with the Lord. I've applied these principles to my life, and they have greatly helped me walk through cancer.
For more information, I invite you to read my book.
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