Week Thirty-Seven - Spiritual Mildew

This past spring, we returned to England from a year's furlough in the States to a lawn choked and dying, overtaken by weeds and moss. After I applied weed and moss killer, dead, dry patches covered the lawn, but the grass wasn't coming back to life. 

Finally, I paid a professional to come in with heavier chemicals, and after several weeks, my lawn began recovering. Moss, mildew, and other destructive things like parasites and fungi attack gardens, vegetables, and flowers. Surely, if it weren't for the goodness of God, they would spread and create famine all over the land. 

Comparatively, spiritual mildew is also a great blight. It takes root when a debilitating general apathy, a deep trial, or a hurtful confrontation leaves you empty and dry. Have you noticed a deficiency of sincerity in yourself or those around you? Do you see or experience spiritual laziness or debilitating pride? Are your prayers shriveled and your service cold? All of these are warning signs of spiritual mildew creeping into your heart.

When it comes to the moss in the garden, intense heat must dry it out and kill the roots. Spiritually, the moss and mildew of our blighted hearts need the light of the Word and heat from the blessed Son of Righteousness to shine intensely. The roots of pride, bitterness, apathy, and laziness must be killed so new spiritual energy and hope can grow.

Friend, maybe you, like my lawn, suffer from spiritual mildew. You feel flat, overtaken, and covered in dry, dead patches. It may be time for you to call in the professional, the great Healer of your soul, and let Him use Spirit-filled chemicals to restore the beauty of your soul's garden. Forgiveness, repentance, and honest confession must be tilled into the soil of your soul before weeds and mildew can ever be removed.

Psalm 51:10-12 is one of David's prayers about his personal spiritual mildew. He prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit."

Let this be your prayer, and may His Word shine into your heart today and create lush spiritual beauty!