In yesterday’s DWOD, we were alerted to the danger of allowing a bitter root to develop in our spirits. “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.” (Hebrews 12:15)

The picture demonstrated how a small tree root could grow into a monster that takes up an entire sewer pipe, aided and abetted by the abundance of moisture.

Let’s consider a scenario in which you are fully aware that you have indeed allowed a bitter root to be planted. You know it must be removed. You are confident that it is still in the early stages of growth, so it can be removed before it gets bigger and causes a blockage, resulting in sewage backing up into the house.

While you are seeking Holy Spirit to remove that root with the help of a counselor or a ministry team, the root will keep on growing unless…

Unless you pay attention to the feeders.

What is a feeder, you ask?

Well, a feeder is any contributing factor that allows the root to grow and expand until it eliminates the possibility of anything flowing through it.

In the case of the sewer pipe, ironically it is the water (sewage) flowing through it which permits the root to prosper. So, for the root to stop growing completely, the water supply needs to be cut off totally.

Since this is virtually impossible in a typical house, one could stunt the growth of the root by
a.    reducing the moisture that is available to it or
b.    by changing what flows through it.

How does this translate into the bitter root scenario to which we referred earlier?

There are two basic ways in which we facilitate the flourishing of the bitter root.

Firstly, we do this on our own, simply by regurgitating, rehearsing, re-living and brooding over the cause of the bitterness over and over again. This has the effect of giving the root moisture to keep on growing bigger.

Secondly, we do this with the help of others, by placing ourselves in an environment where we allow them to add moisture to the growing of the root.

When family members, co-workers, friends, strangers on coffee row, lawyers or whoever else, start sharing their own reasons for holding on to bitterness and encourage you to do the same, it is as though your bitter root received a supply of water (or is it sewage?) that promotes its growth.

Movies and TV shows we watch that extol the virtues of vengeance, popular music that invites us to stay in the place of revenge, books that encourage getting back at those who hurt us—watch out for these feeders!

Deciding not to dwell on the hurt and to stop receiving the unhelpful input of others will indeed go a long way towards stunting the growth of the root.

Next, we need to change what flows through. The love of the Father is the place to start, amen? “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

Several years ago, when I became aware of a bitter root in my spirit, I increased the amount of time I spent soaking in the presence of the Lord. It was amazing to see how Holy Spirit used that time to replace the sewage of hatred with the water of love. It was the love of the Father that kept the root from getting bigger.

Another thing I trained myself to do was to offer forgiveness every time an angry thought arose or a flashback of a hurt popped up on my internal screen. That also had the effect of changing what flowed through.

These measures kept me going until the root could be pulled out through prayer ministry.

Dear DWOD friend, what else have you done to prevent the bitter root from growing in your spirit? Please share with the rest of us, will you?

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 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. (Hebrews 12:14-15)

Two years ago, we started experiencing sewer back-ups in our basement. Not a pretty sight. Not a pleasing smell.

We turned to the City of St. Catharines for help. A crew came out, sent a camera down the sewer pipe and showed me a “live” shot of the problem.

Roots.

The tree that shaded one of the bedrooms from the direct heat of the sun had sent down roots that managed to penetrate the porous pipe. Now those roots were blocking the sewage from flowing out smoothly.

They were able to cut out enough of the roots to clear a way for the flow to resume. But they warned me that since they could not get them all, chances are they would be back for another call unless…

Unless we replaced the sewer pipe with one made of PVC so that roots could not penetrate and wreak havoc again. Of course, this could end up costing a minimum of $3000.

We took our chances on the $300 service call.

Sure enough, a few months later, the sewer backed up again. Same ungodly sight. Same ungodly smell. Same unhappy crew. Same unequivocal advice.

The time had come to move past periodic fixes to a permanent solution.

When we eventually excavated the area and found the sewer pipe and the connected weeping tile, I was shocked to see how big the roots had grown (see attached photograph).

Since they had an ample supply of water, they experienced prodigious growth to the point of taking over every bit of available space in the pipe. No wonder the sewage could not flow through!

The sight of the blocked pipe reminded me of the verse from Hebrews 12 in which we are warned about allowing any “bitter root” to grow up in our spirits.

I used to envision those roots as being much thinner and spread out all over the place.

The sight of the roots in the sewer pipe alerted me to a danger I had not considered before…that those roots don’t stay small in an environment that promotes their growth!

They can completely take over every bit of available space in our spirits and dominate our thoughts to the point that nothing can flow through.

Wow! What a frightening prospect, eh?

What begins as an angry thought or feeling starts growing into resentment and eventually turns into bitterness. It is at this stage that bitterness can so totally permeate us that we cannot see anything different. And we will not permit anything or anyone from entering that space, including the Holy Spirit 🙁

We too can opt for periodic fixes—a little prayer here and there, reading a book and repenting whenever the stink is too much to bear—but, friends, there is no substitute for removing the root entirely and protecting our spirits from any future penetration.

When Sulojana and I took a week of our lives to receive intense prayer ministry, it was amazing to see how Holy Spirit completely renewed us, so that there was no more of the bitter root left. He would also equip us with the means to prevent bitter roots from having a chance at growing by giving us a new covering, so to speak.

Dear DWOD, friend, a bitter root is one of the greatest obstacles to advancing into your destiny.  Would you ask Holy Spirit to show you if you have allowed this to happen…or if you are facing the imminent danger of allowing an angry thought or a resentful attitude to grow into a full-blown bitter root?

Would you then seek the help you need to allow Holy Spirit to remove it completely? If we can help you in this process, please send an e-mail to jeeva@destinywordoftheday.com or facebook message to Jeeva Edward Sam.

“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:13-15)

Washing smelly feet is no ordinary feat. In Jesus’ day, it was reserved for the servants and slaves. Even servants did their best to avoid being assigned to be the foot-washer.

You can tell that the disciples were quite taken aback that evening in the Upper Room when Jesus wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water into a basin and started washing and drying their feet.

Peter expresses the sentiment of the entire group: “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Try reading it this way: “Lord, YOU’RE not going to wash MY feet, are you?” (with a tone of incredulity).

Now you get the shock value of what Jesus was doing.

The apostle Paul would express Jesus’ choice in these words: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…”  (Philippians 2:6-7).

But, Jesus does not stop with simply washing his disciples’ feet. He then drops the bombshell: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

He was not just teaching theory or speaking metaphorically. He demonstrates it in a very practical way.

Jesus raises the bar way up high by stooping way down low.

“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

Did they get the point? Did they follow His example?

The pagan emperor Julian lamented that the Christians showed greater charity than the pagans: “These impious Galileans not only feed their own poor, but ours also… Whilst the pagan priests neglect the poor, the hated Galileans devote themselves to works of charity.”

History records that when an epidemic of the plague hit Alexandria in the third century, most of the population fled in fear, leaving the sick to fend for themselves. The Christians, however, stayed back to care for the sick and bury the dead. Many of them were infected in the process and died.

Wow! Clearly, the disciples had duplicated Jesus’ example enough for it to become the norm for the Church many generations down the road.

A number of years ago, Sulojana and I were introduced to a leader in a home-based business that we were building at the time. He was a sharp dresser, a smooth-talking and energetic motivator. While we admired him, we were also not entirely sure that he had our best interests at heart.

All of that changed when we were at a conference in Winnipeg together. When a tire went flat in our car, he came with me to the parking lot, put on the “donut”, took me to a garage and made sure it was all fixed up. He did not hesitate one bit to go low and get down and dirty. I was now ready to accept him as my leader.

Perhaps it should not surprise you to discover that he too was a follower of Jesus.

Dear friend, how high you rise in office depends on how low you go in service. As Jesus said elsewhere: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” (Matthew 20:26-27)

Has anyone set such an example for you? Please share your responses with the rest of your DWOD family.

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. (James 2:23)

When we first choose to make Jesus the Lord and Saviour of our lives, we are, in the words of the apostle Paul, adopted into His family. We are now “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:16-17)

This is and always will be our primary identity in the family of Christ.

The defining question of this relationship with the Father is almost always: “What can YOU DO FOR ME, Daddy?”

There is nothing wrong with asking this question, really. After all, Jesus encouraged us to do exactly that, didn’t He?

“Ask, and it will be given to you…For everyone who asks receives…If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:7, 8, 11)

As Barry Adams pointed out in yesterday’s DWOD, this revelation of our identity permits us to walk in the humility of a servant heart. Jesus made this very clear when he said: “I am among you as the One who serves.” (Luke 22:27)

Jesus asks us to also declare something similar: “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)

The main question a servant asks is: “What can I DO FOR YOU, my Master/Lord?”

But Jesus does not want us to stay there. He reveals His desire for us to move into a higher level of relationship with Him in these words: “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

For the most part, we do not do something FOR our friends, but WITH them, amen? So, now the key question becomes: “What can I DO WITH YOU, Jesus?”

How do we move into this level of relationship with Jesus? The key is in these words from Mark 6:31: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

As we accept Jesus’ invitation to go rest with Him and grow in intimacy, we are no longer siblings and servants only. We become friends. Now we have the confidence to ask how we can co-labour with Him.

It was this intimate connection that permitted Abraham to negotiate the number of righteous people who could negate the impending judgment on Sodom & Gomorrah (Genesis 18:22-33). No wonder he was called “the friend of God.”

Dear DWOD friend, do you see yourself as a friend of Jesus?  That is the new identity from which He wants you to function, don’t you know?

So, go ahead. Make His day. Ask:  “What can I DO WITH YOU TODAY, JESUS?”

Sing along with Israel Houghton…I am a friend of God