James 1:13-15 “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
 
I came home the other day to find a near miss in our backyard.  A very large limb from a 50-year old red oak tree fell and just missed our house and deck. This puzzled me because the tree looked so healthy on the outside; but when I got closer I noticed what was really happening inside. Because of the break I could see that a large portion of the tree was dead on the inside. In addition to this, there was also a large amount of damage caused by carpenter ants. When I studied the rest of the tree that was standing I noticed one small hole and a line of ants going in and out. 
 
This reminded me of the importance of what goes on inside our hearts. Many times in life we focus on
the wrong things. Like a mighty red oak we grow our families, careers, and futures but if we are not careful one small hole can cause a lot of destruction. Last week I had the tree examined by and arborist who shared with me that the tree has a condition called heart rot. This is a condition where the tree
slowly dies from the inside out. 
 
Think about your life today. Is there any indication that something isn’t right? Is there a small hole that you have allowed to exist that needs to be closed? Are you experiencing any indications of heart rot of your own? 
 
James shows us the progression of sin in our lives. One small hole can lead to a place of destruction. This is true in the case of our red oak in the backyard, as it needs to be removed limb by limb.  Take some time to examine your heart today. Ask Jesus to fill any holes that you may have
allowed to exist. He is the ultimate healer of heart rot in our lives.  
 
God Bless,
 
Mike
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