I often talk about my
fascination with analogies and the way that spiritual truths are illustrated in
the physical realm all around us. To me, it is all part of how creation wonderfully
points us to the Creator.
I used to think that
woodpeckers killed trees; that they drilled holes in the trees causing them to
die. It is not an unreasonable observation. You see a woodpecker pecking holes
in a tree and the next thing you know the tree is dead! It seems kind of
obvious. Certainly punching a tree full of holes is going to kill it! People
have been convicted in a court of law with less evidence!
But there is more to the
situation than meets the eye. Woodpeckers feed on bugs. If a woodpecker is
drilling a hole in a tree, it is because there are bugs in there. That is to
say that the tree is already dying.
Now, seeing a woodpecker the
other day caused me to think about this in terms of our lives, when we mistake
the symptoms for the disease. We watch for woodpeckers, blaming them for our
problems and trying to chase them off, when in reality they are only
symptomatic of a much deeper problem; one much more difficult to see, and yes,
deadly. The woodpeckers represent things that are more circumstantial while the
bugs represent our heart issues. We make a grave error when we remain willfully
ignorant of what’s going on inside our hearts choosing instead to blame
externals. Psychologists call it denial. The Bible talks about it as a refusal
to be honest before God and to confess and repent of our sin; to acknowledge
it, to own it, and to turn from it. We will never be healthy, never be able to
move forward, until we face head-on the real cause of our problem - the sin in
our hearts.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us.” 1John
1:8
But here is the best part:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and
will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9
Notice any woodpeckers
lately? It may be that God sent them to get your attention, to encourage you to
deal with the real problem.
Its sad, but people are so busy these days that we don't notice just how incredibly intricate nature is, and how it points back to God's amazing creativity and beauty. We only need to take a few minutes each day and look around, look up, and remember God's creation is all around us, showing us that God cares about the smallest details, including what's truly in each of our hearts. When a God that is that big can care about something seemingly insignificant in nature, it makes me think of how much more he cares for us, His children.
ReplyDeleteNature is beautiful and insightful because God created it to be that way. Its just one more way God tries to reach those He loves.
Thank you God, Thank you for your love and your beautiful creation!