“Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.” Hebrews 12:15, CSB

Are you a spur-of-the-moment traveler, or do you plan for months on end? We usually plan; however, last week, at the very last minute, we ran away from home. Appointments got shifted on the fly and off to the mountains we trekked.

There’s something supernatural that happens inside the soul of one who hikes wooded trails. God reveals the sweetest reminders. He’s so good to do that! As we walked along a trail we’d maneuvered once before, I noticed the exposed roots along the way. They seemed more pronounced than they had been two years ago. These woods had clearly been pounded with an abundance of rain that slowly uncovered what once lay snuggled beneath the surface. Hefty roots stood at attention along the steep, downhill path causing us to either stumble or use them as brakes for our sliding boots.

Your attitude toward your path’s roots take shape depending on how you approach them. If you’re not paying attention, they can jump up out of nowhere causing you to first stumble and then gripe profusely. On the other hand, they can cause you to give thanks for slowing your skid before you fall off the edge of a mountainous trail.

Jesus said in Matthew 5, “[God] causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” In John 16 He said, “In this world you will have trouble.” The rains of unpleasant circumstances are bound to come – some seasons are just wetter than others.  What’s your attitude when the rains come? As the comfort of familiar ground gets washed away, are you emotionally undone? Do you pay attention to bitter roots being uncovered in your life? When ignored, roots of unforgiveness and pride tend to get gnarly and unmanageable. We think if we just throw some dirt back on them or blame their existence on circumstances or someone else we can go on our merry way. The longer they are ignored, the harder it becomes to hike across them. We stumble, trip, and sooner or later fall flat on our faces.

Paying attention to the roots can help stabilize our journey. When we learn from our mistakes, we allow God the opportunity to shower us with His faithfulness, mercy, and grace. We appreciate the loving kindness of God that sent the rain in the first place. Though the pouring rain seems a nuisance, it reveals roots of past hurts or missteps that, when properly dealt with, can help us gain traction as we follow in Jesus’ footprints. Realizing our mistakes allows us the chance to repent so that times of refreshing can come. (Acts 3:19)

So rather than cursing the rain, ranting at the roots, or sliding uncontrollably through life, plant your feet in the truth of God’s word, recognize your bitter roots, repent, and give thanks to God for washing away your dirt. You might even begin to welcome the rain.

“Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.” Hebrews 12:15, CSB