Daily Devotional, Year 3 – July 22 (Watchmen On Zion’s Walls, Part 6: “Cutting Away The Tendrils!”)

By admin On February 16th, 2021

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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – July 22

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Watchmen On Zion’s Walls,

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Part 6:

“Cutting Away The Tendrils!”

To read Part 1, click here…OCTOBER 9 (Watchmen On Zion’s Walls, Part 1)

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“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

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Have you ever had an ivy plant? Isn’t it amazing how it wraps itself around and climbs up just about anything it can!

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Have you ever seen those houses which have ivy-covered walls? They really look great, don’t they?

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Well, God has created so much of nature to be admired for its sheer beauty!

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Ivy-covered house – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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“THE EARTH…SHALL TEACH THEE”

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But God has also created nature to be our teachers.

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Listen…“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10

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Here is revealed this great truth, that all of nature is our teacher.

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Worker ant carrying leaf – Wikimedia – Public Domain

Spider Web – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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And so, today’s focus will be on ivy.

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But the question to be answered is this: just how can ivy help to understand more about the Gospel?

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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License

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SOME PLANTS SYMBOLIZE SIN

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Listen to today’s signature Bible passage, “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

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So God speaks of bitter roots which can spring up and defile the heart and life of church-goers.

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La Bible, Notre-Dame – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License

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IVY TENDRILS WRAP AROUND US

Now while ivy may not be considered a “bitter root”, it nevertheless can be seen as a fitting representation of sin and how it can wrap itself around the feet and legs, and entire body of the child of God.

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Ivy Covered Door – Hawthorn Hal l – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

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JUST ONE HARMLESS LITTLE INDULGENCE

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For instance, the Christian may decide to watch or listen to one seemingly harmless news show. And then, the very next day, that same desire begins to tug at his heart… “You need to watch that news show again today!”

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Well, maybe we don’t hear an actual inner voice. But we do feel a tug at our heart strings to watch or listen to that show.

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But before long, we get the urge to watch or listen to another, similar news show.

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Well, just like that tenacious little ivy plant, these worldly tendrils begin to wrap themselves around us, continuing to grow and grow.

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And before long, our love for the Gospel begins to wane, and placed on the proverbial ‘back-burner’!

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MANY OTHER ‘HARMLESS’ LITTLE INDULGENCES

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Now there are many other various little worldly pleasures, pastimes, diversions and pursuits which one could use as an example: TV and radio shows, video games, secular Internet, movies, newspapers, magazines, novels, clubs, committees, better homes and gardens, lavish resorts, sports, hobbies, frequenting restaurants, social parties, and even many humanitarian projects.

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All these and many other similar diversions can become like those tenacious little ivy plants, entangling us in worldly pursuits.

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Computer – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

TV – highquality – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons License

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“…LEST THAT DAY COME UPON YOU UNAWARES!”

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Listen to this warning from Luke’s Gospel, concerning these last moments of time…“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” Luke 21:34-36

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This above passage stands as a stark warning against allowing even the seemingly innocent pursuits of the world to become paramount to our remaining a faithful watchman on Zion’s walls!

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CUT AWAY THOSE TENDRILS!

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And so, today’s devotional is merely a plea to cut away any earthly tendril which might begin to wrap itself around our feet.

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No matter what little earthly affection it may be, let’s keep our focus on the holy life of Jesus, and continue to follow Him on the upward pathway out of this world.

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And by cutting loose of those earthly tendrils, our feet will be freed-up to, “walk, even as He (Jesus) walked”! 1st John 2:6

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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Make me a faithful watchman. Help me to be sober and vigilant. Let me not sleep, but be awake and watchful. Help me to cut away any earthly tendril which begins to wrap itself around my feet, lest I become ineffective in the furtherance of the Gospel in my life and in the lives of others…

Morning Prayers – Ebenezer Newman – Downard – 1860 – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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“Watchman, what of the night?

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Watchman, what of the night?

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The watchman said, The morning cometh,

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and also the night:

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if ye will inquire, inquire ye:

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return, come.”

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Isaiah 21:11, 12

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THE 1ST FACE IN THE MOON: “THE NIGHT WATCHMAN”

“Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me… for I have seen violence and strife in the city…mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.” Psalm 55:5-11

Doesn’t this above passage seem to have special meaning today, with so much wickedness going on in today’s world? But this above verse by David is speaking of the sinfulness among God’s people! This “Man in the Moon” is a fitting symbol of the watchfulness that we must have in order to resist the sin and deception that assails God’s Church…from without and from within… “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.” Psalms 141:3, 4.

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But this night watchman does not keep silent. No, he cries to the Lord over the atrocities he must witness each night… “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence.” Isaiah 62:6.

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So too, this 1st-face appears as if to, “sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof (of God’s City, Jerusalem).” Ezekiel 9:4

Moon – Public Domain – 2nd face Pharisee Scorner – by Cezar Popescu for Wikimedia – Universal Public Domain – cropped, highlighted & rotated photo

Photo Bad Moon Rising (by) Makelessnoise for Wikipedia share-alike license. click here for link.

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TOMORROW…

July 23 (Come Out of Her, My People! Part 48: “Christmas, The Ishmael of the Church!”)

Santa’s Portrait by T. Nast 1881wikimedia public domain

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