I visited my family in Ireland a while back. My husband and I planned to sightsee during the trip. As we strolled down a country lane in a rural area of Ireland, we came across a beautiful, old tree. How long had the tree stood there, I wondered. Carved initials in the trunk marked memories of visits by those in love. As I studied the tree, I noticed something different. A section of barbed wire entangled and dug deep into the trunk of the ancient tree.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither– whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 1:3
The wire snarled around the base. I guessed a wire fence once surrounded the tree years. Maybe back when it was just a sapling. Over the years, as the tree grew, the trunk grew past the fencing. The tree could not escape the barbed wire, so it just grew up around it. We finished our walk and headed off to the next event.
Symbolism
Over the next few days, my thoughts drifted back to the tree. I glanced at the photo of the tree many times. Why did this tree fascinate me so much? I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to dig deeper to find out what God wanted to reveal to me. For a long time, I could not figure it out.
[bctt tweet="The barbs of sin dig deep into our flesh. What can we do to get them out?"]Soon, I realized the tree represented man. After birth, we become part of a family. Our family roots anchor us. As we grow, people come into our lives and write their names on our hearts, which is like those on the tree’s trunk. Sometimes, we need to be pruned of dead or rotten parts so that we can continue to grow tall and strong. Even though pruning can be painful, it improves our growth and makes us healthier. When we are old, our bodies resemble the old trunk of the tree, knotted and scarred.
Barbs of Sins
But what does the barbed wire on the tree trunk represent? I recognized the barbed wire depicted sin in our lives. When young, we see this sin all around us. Like the fence, our families surround us to protect us. They take us to church to learn about Christ and His love for us. And, they hope we will learn right from wrong and how to avoid sin in our lives. But, as we grow, sin creeps closer until it finally reaches our trunk.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.
Proverbs 11:30
Sin entangles us just a little at first. We tell the first little lie at school, and the barbed wire tightens around our trunk. Next, we find ourselves cheating on our taxes. The barbed wire tightens and cuts deeper with each sin. Some people try drugs or alcohol to escape reality. They become hooked, and the wire embeds itself deeper. Soon, we can’t separate the trunk of our lives from the barbed wire of sin entangling us.
The Gardner
One day we realize our sins have entangled our lives to the point we cannot fix it by ourselves. We need Jesus, the master gardener, to help us. We need Him to prune us until we can reclaim our lives from the grasp of sin. Some of our sins become so entrenched that we never get rid of them entirely. Sometimes, God leaves a piece of the wire buried in our trunk, so we keep turning to Him. Some sins leave deep scars, but God helps us overcome those also.
[bctt tweet="We need Jesus, the master gardener, to help us. We need Him to prune us until we can reclaim our lives from the grasp of sin."]Only when we accept Christ and confess our sins can the healing begin. Only He can trim sin out of our trunks and put us on the road to healing and happiness. Even if some of the barbwire remains, God lifts us and gives us
Blessings,
Yvonne M Morgan, #Blogger, #Speaker, #Writer
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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VERY convicting words. You are right that sin entangles and leaves its mark. Thanking God today for a savior who washes us clean and makes us new in Him.
Amen and thanks for your comments. God bless.
I love your statement “We need Jesus, the Master Gardener, to help us.” Amen. We need Him in every moment.
Yes we do. We sometimes forget that we need pruning to help us grow too. Thanks and God bless.
The trimming and the pruning is so essential! That sin digs in deep and sinks its barbs into us. I’m glad you mentioned that some may remain the rest of our lives, because I believe most, if not all, of us have besetting sins. Often we don’t recognize them. They may be pride, selfishness, grumbling, etc. These are “unseen,” yet evident in all we do. Maybe it’s “merely” habitual discouragement, rather than rejoicing in the Lord. That barbed wire digs deep. Only Jesus can heal us. Great post, Yvonne!
You are so very correct Melinda. Thanks for visiting and commenting. God bless
Praise God for that faithful Gardener!
Amen and thanks Beth. God bless.
Great post! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks and God bless
You have a way with words Sister, absolutely powerful message! Thank you for your Post, makes me definitely thank God for saving my life through Jesus. God Bless You Sister!!
Thank you Stephen. I really appreciate the feedback. I am so thyHe saved all of us. God bless.
What a profound picture of our humanity–and what sin does to us. Thank you! God bless!
Thanks Nancy. Sin entangles us and only Jesus can rescue us. God bless.
I get that God prunes us, but oh! It’s so hard sometimes. Yet, it’s good. Good & hard – the paradox of the Christian life. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Lisa. I appreciate it. God bless
Yvonne, you are the best at great analogies like this. I just listened to a podcast today about pruning trees and how it relates to so many things in life. And it’s a perfect example for sin in our lives that has dug deep roots into our spiritual core. Thank goodness Jesus makes us beautiful and whole again!
Thank you very much Karen. You comments mean a lot to me. I am so grateful for the way God prunes us into who He needs up to be. God bless.
This is beautiful! I can’t wait for the day when those scars and bits of barbed wire disappear forever!
Me too. Thanks Emily and God bless
Yvonne, what a powerful analogy. I love the way you explained how sin begins so small and it only barely cuts into the bark of our souls. But then with each sin, the next becomes more natural until we are so wrapped in sin it has marred us to the core. But for Jesus!!! Hallelujah! How we need His forgiveness and the power of His Holy Spirit to set us free. What an inspiring message.
Yes we do need Jesus and His forgiveness. Thanks and God bless Melissa.