In his
book. Lee: The Last Years, Charles Flood reports that after the Civil
War, Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took him to the remains
of a grand old tree in front of her house. There she bitterly cried
that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Federal artillery fire.
She looked to Lee for a word condemning the North or at least
sympathizing with her loss. After a brief silence, Lee said, "Cut it
down, my dear Madam, and forget it."
It is better to forgive the
injustices of the past than to allow them to remain, let bitterness take
root and poison the rest of our life."
Some people I love are struggling with a bitter root, and it is impacting so many. I remember reading about the bitter root in the Bible and set out to find it today, thinking I knew what it meant.
I didn't. It is a sobering truth.
Hebrews 12:15 mentions the bitter root; "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."
A bitter root is a result of apostasy. Of turning away from God or "failing of the grace of God," according to Matthew Henry. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Hbr/Hbr_012.cfm?a=1145015
In other words. First, we fall away from God. We become spiritually bankrupt and coming short of true grace and God's favor. We lose peace within churches, families and we finally lose our minds.
"The the consequences of apostasy is a root of bitterness will spring up. From this root, corruption takes off. This bitter root begins producing bitter fruits in our life and then in those around us. Producing corrupt principles, which lead to apostasy. Apostates generally grow worse and worse, and fall into the grossest wickedness, which usually ends either in downright atheism or in despair.
It also produces bitter fruits to others, to the churches to which these men belonged; by their corrupt principles and practices many are troubled, the peace of the church is broken the peace of men's minds is disturbed, and many are defiled, tainted with those principles, and drawn into defiling practices; so that the churches suffer both in their purity and peace. But the apostates themselves will be the greatest sufferers at last. Apostasy from Christ is the fruit of preferring the gratification of the flesh to the blessings of God and the heavenly inheritance."
Following the cross reference to Mathew 7, I read the following:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’"
The thing is, we can look very good on the outside. We can deceive ourselves and others. The bitter root will produce bitter fruit. It will damage the SOIL and the SOUL with its poison and nothing else will grow there.
Scary stuff. "God, search me and know me. See if I have any wicked way in me. Where I have walked away from you, please show me. Help me come back to you. Bring my family back and help us stay within your umbrella of grace, mercy, provision and protection. To stay under your grace. Please forgive us and heal our hearts."
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