Tangled Tales

As I walked through my garden the other day, I was enjoying the miniature rose bush that was growing in my garden. This plant was lovely and green, and had some tiny, colourful roses on it. But as I looked closer, I saw that there was something else growing around some of the branches of the rose bush, something that was clearly not part of this plant.

On closer inspection I saw that it was some kind of weed that had begun strangling the plant and restricting its growth. It was easy enough, once I recognised this, to disentangle and pull away the weed from the beautiful rose bush. What struck me was the fact that it was not so easy to see this weed at first glance, as it almost resembled the small leaves of the rose bush. And yet it had a different root and was sapping life from the rose bush.

This reminded me of how easy it is to become comfortable with some of the lies of the enemy that we allow to take root in our hearts. This is especially true at times when we face trials. Then the lies of the enemy feel like truth in the midst of the turmoil. If we do not recognise the lie, it may slowly take root and start to erode our faith and our belief in the goodness of God. I have noticed that this is not necessarily a cognitive process or decision to believe what I would not normally entertain as truth.

However, unless we remain absolutely rooted in God’s word, being intentional about spending time with Him, and making room for His voice of truth and His comforting presence, our desert experiences and times of trial can cause us to lose perspective and focus. The lies and truth become tangled, leaving us confused and overwhelmed.

One thing I have found invaluable in these ‘tangled seasons’ is my quiet time journal. I have cultivated a habit over the years of writing down the scriptures and nuggets God speaks to my heart. This has become a reference for me of God’s voice of truth and His words and promises to me personally. When I feel discouraged or sense that doubt is starting to overtake faith, I page back in my journal and remind myself of what God has said and done in my life.

Find what works for you, but put God’s truth front and centre before you, when you start feeling those little tangled weeds beginning to grow around your heart. Psalm 16:8 (NKJV) says, ‘I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.’ The NIV translation puts it like this: ‘I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.’

God’s Word and His truth is eternal and stands firm in the heavens (Psalm 119:89). It is unchanging and unmovable, and it is the best antidote to lies.