We all go through hard times in our life. Painful, intensely difficult seasons. Things which rip huge pieces out of who we are.
Here you can see a Bigleaf maple tree at the back edge of our yard. A huge section of this tree has been ripped away!
This right here is what it looks like when painful, intensely difficult situations rip away a huge chunk of who we are.
The Bigleaf maple tree has recovered though. Which is interesting. To have such a huge section of the tree ripped away, especially in the middle, you would think it would hinder the tree’s ability to continue growing.
But trees have a fascinating ability to heal themselves.
The part of the tree which is the most vital for survival is the outer layers of the bark. Here, pipelines run up the tree, transporting water from the roots up to the leaves (sapwood). Here also pipelines run down the tree, transporting food/nutrients from the leaves down to the rest of the tree (phloem).
As long as these life-supply pipelines remain intact and unbroken, the tree has everything it needs to recover, heal, and continue growing tall and strong!
Incredible isn’t it.
In our own life, in the same way, we have “life-supply pipelines” which are vital if we are to survive. Through these “life-supply pipelines” our soul draws “living water” from our “roots” … which is sent up our “life’s tree” so that we can accomplish the purpose which God has for us.
Our “living water” is Jesus … who’s very name is the Living Water. (John 4:14)
And our “roots” which anchor and hold us secure is also Jesus Christ! (Hebrews 6:19)
In the “leafy canopy” of our life, the light of Jesus shines … thereby producing food/nutrients/growth as a direct result of the energy He provides.
Life is hard! Storms pound and whip our “life’s tree.” As long as our “life-supply pipelines” remain connected to Jesus (our roots! … and our living water! … and our source of sustaining energy!), our life’s tree can withstand a lot! Even something as painful, and intensely difficult as having a huge section ripped away.
But, as you can see in the above photo, the scar still remains. The scar never goes away.
There is now a weakened, vulnerable place on the tree.
This same thing is true in our own life. Those places where we have had huge chunks of who we are ripped away, we might have healed (like the tree in the above photo). Jesus can and will heal us! Jesus will help us to continue to grow tall and strong … and to accomplish much for His Kingdom work! But a scar remains nonetheless. And like the tree in the above photo, that particular area of our life is forever weakened and vulnerable.
Satan knows this. And Satan will try to exploit this weakness. We will be going about our daily life, accomplishing greatness for God’s Kingdom Work (just as He made us to do) … and suddenly, out of the blue, something will be said … or a situation will occur … and in an instant all the hurt and the pain comes rushing back! Hurt and pain which we thought we had healed from. Hurt and pain that we had put behind us.
In an instant, it all comes flooding back.
We must be very very careful with those weak vulnerable places in our life. Those are the areas Satan will target. If Satan can get us where we are the weakest … then he has a chance at being able to shut us down and stop us from being productive for God’s Kingdom work.
Be alert and on guard when it comes to the scars on the “trunk” of your life. Those are the places Satan will target. And when Satan does target them … and all that pain and the hurt threaten to overwhelm … give it all to Jesus! Jesus can heal that pain! Jesus can heal that hurt!
And just like Jesus restored you in the past … Jesus will restore you again … and again … and again! Every time Satan attacks you at your weak, vulnerable spot … Jesus will cover it over and heal you.
