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| Roots and Stoney Ground |
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."
Hebrews 12:15
Just wanted to share something that the Holy Spirit just pointed out to me. It's short, it's quick, but it's TO THE POINT: and sometimes these types of lessons get "right down to the quick" (so to speak.)
The following quote was taken from "The Golden Treasury of Bible Wisdom~Words of Encouragement, Hope, and Wisdom" by Herschel B. Dean. It's a wonderful compilation of scripture verses, with a quote by Herschel for each verse...something extra to "chew on." And boy, oh boy, have they been such a blessing to me??!! You bet!
For the above written scripture in Hebrews, here is what Mr. Dean said:"We must fight negative thought patterns and poutings or else they will neutralize our lives, leaving us ineffective and miserable. Cheer up! God loves you and has plans for you beyond your greatest dreams."
Look at the scripture again, and the phrase "Root of Bitterness." Do you see the initials R.O.B. ?????????? What does a Root of Bitterness do? Scripture tells us it ROBS not only US, but MANY others around us, of an effective, enjoyable, PRODUCTIVE, Spiritually-Successful, God-Driven, Christ-Centered, Spirit-filled, peaceful life!
Is it possible to have a root of bitterness without having been offended by someone? I used to associate a root of bitterness with what happens after a grudge is held for a long time against someone who has offended me. But the Holy Spirit just showed me: A negative spirit; a discouraged, seeing-the-glass-half-filled, gloomy outlook-on-life~~all of those things ARE a Root of Bitterness. . . and THEY ROB not only ME, but also EVERYONE AROUND ME ("thereby defiling MANY.") O u C h !!
Guess what happened, though?
