My good days allow me to do day to day tasks. On my bad days even the most menial task is very daunting. Psoriatic Arthritis is the disease that dwells inside of me and it is an interesting journey to say the least. Yet, even on my bad days I stay mentally strong, I understand I am not wasting my day sitting on my couch, I am recovering which is not as easy as it sounds. There is a lesson I have learned recently that I feel can help those of us facing obstacles that I would like to share.
The fruit or the root? A little background from the Bible is needed for this. In the Book of Genesis the serpent (Satan) tempted Eve with fruit saying “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Which they could eat fruit just not from one in the middle of the garden. Satan keys in on this and says “You will not die.”
So here it is, Satan wants to temp with the fruit. It is harmless (according to the devil) because he knows it takes our focus away from God and our source of healing and goodness. It brings our focus on trying something we should not.
Jesus is the root. “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7.
When the storms of life hit, and they do and will and Satan shows up and he will to offer fruit, will you focus on that? Or will you look at the root? I choose the root over the fruit.
My healing is not in fruit, It just isn’t. The fruit I speak of is the medication I take. It has taken three different medicines to find one that can band-aid me so the constant pain is a bit more bearable.
I am focused on the root. “The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.” Psalm 41:3, is it easy to block out the fruit? Not always, it takes practice.
What is the fruit you are focused on today? Is it sadness, pain, realizing you caused turmoil in your household and are dealing with the aftermath, is it something else? Stop looking at the fruit and start looking at the root.
Drop a comment and let me know what you are dealing with. Together we can overcome!
