The Bible on Trial

Tree Service~

Yesterday the Tree Service that we had contracted came to the house and set about felling, trimming, thinning, and otherwise putting the trees of our yard into better shape than they have been in years. They cut back an ageing apple tree of the dead parts, leaving the branches that still had life to grow again. They cleared away a pile of wood that had been in front of our cedar fence for years. The fell a long dead and rotting tree trunk (25 feet tall) that was ready to split, and was a danger. They trimmed back a maple and a mullberry tree that overhung the property lines into our neighbor's yard on both the north and the south sides of our property. They thinned and topped our huge lemon tree, that had become so overgrown that it had lost its ability to produce a good crop. And finally, the owner (Ephrain) put on his climbing rig and went via ladder to the top of our 50ft palm, and removed 10 years of dead fronds, that were almost ready to drop off and either damage our truck, that we have to park at the base of the palm, or hurt someone. It was exciting to watch this crew of five experts (including Ephrain's son) work their magic on our property, and give us a fresh start in making our yard a wonderful place to enjoy. 

As they were doing all of these things it reminded me that there is the same kind of need in our spiritual identities for a good clean out from time to time. Truth has been mixed with lies for so long that it is impossible to see the spiritual reality that God wants for each of us to experience because there is so much dead wood in us that we can't breath the fresh air of the truth that God desires for us to know. We cannot bare the spiritual fruit that will not only save our own lives, but the lives of others, and we can;t see our way to the Kingdom of God  because the branches in our souls are so narly and twisted that we can't see the Truth. Prune away the Lies and Truth appears.