Deuteronomy 29:18 Lest there is in you a man or a woman or a family or a tribe whose heart turns away today from LORD JEHOVAH our God to go to work for the gods of those nations, lest there is in you a root that causes bitterness and wormwood to spring up.
Wormwood is a native European bitter herb that has some medicinal benefits but is a Biblical metaphor for bitterness, poison and death. It contains an oil “thujone”, that stimulates the central nervous system and can cause loss of appetite, upset stomach, gallbladder disease, intestinal bleeding, hallucinations, sleeplessness, and convulsions. This bitter herb, wormwood, was historically used in witchcraft to cause psychosis, mental disorders and even death. The roots of the herb around a waterbed or lake can make the water bitter, noxious and undrinkable.
Moses warned the people about false religious beliefs and pagan occult practices that can make their heart acidic towards God. He cautioned them that such prostitution and whoredom can cause the root of wormwood to poison their soul against the Lord God. Idolatry and harlotry embitters the heart and corrupts the soul.
People get bitter with God and blame the Lord God for the bad things that happen in their life. “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? … But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian” (Judges 6:13). Gideon was completely oblivious to the revelry and rivalry of the perverse and godless generation that had forsaken the Lord and committed harlotry with other pagan gods. Gideon’s response to a message of deliverance was “Why did God abandon us?” The Lord God did not abandon Israel; they deserted the precepts and the prophets of the Lord.
When we hear ourselves blaming, questioning or accusing the Lord for not doing what we think He should have done, then the lethal root of wormwood is penetrating into our heart.
Uproot the roots of Wormwood:
1. Entitlement: “Entitlement Mentality” is a deception that traps people to believe that God should bless them because they are worthy of His blessings. The antidote to the toxic root of wormwood is “surrender” and “humility”.
2. Embitterment: Wormwood is a taproot plant that has one dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Likewise, the root of bitterness will embitter our heart, mind, thoughts, tongue, actions and reactions. It will make the tongue stingy, thoughts sour and actions malicious.
3. Entanglement: Bitterness, hatred and hostility are emotional entanglements. The longer a person allows wormwood to grow the harder it would be to uproot it. It is crucial not only to dig out the dominant tap roots but also the lateral roots. If not, the toxicity and pungency will remain in the soul.
God owes us nothing. Everything we receive is only by His grace and not because of our righteousness.
Hebrews 12:15 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.
Prayer: Father God, help me to identify whether there is the root of wormwood in my heart and uproot it. Amen.
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