A New Day

By: Pastor Johnie Akers     

Hebrews 12:15, “. . . lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” Although my culinary skills are novice, I still enjoy cooking. One of my favorite side dishes is turnips. Turnips are naturally a bitter root. But over the years I have learned some very important lessons in how to transform the bitter root into a dish that is very palatable. Ironically, these lessons have also served me well from a spiritual perspective. Turnips are taproots. They are the primary root of the plant. From the taproot, all other roots sprout. The smaller the root when harvested, the more tender, and less bitter it will be. The longer the turnip remains in the ground, the larger the taproot will grow. Conversely, the more bitter it becomes and the more difficult it is to uproot. The preferred method of cooking turnips is to cut the root in pieces, and sauté it with olive oil and several sprigs of thyme. Thyme is a delicate herb with a penetrating fragrance that helps remove bitterness from the root. Thyme has powerful medicinal qualities. In fact, ancient Greeks relied on the oil from thyme for use as an antiseptic. By now you should be comprehending this powerful analogy. Bitterness is a taproot. From it will spring offshoots that will permeate the ground of one’s life. If not uprooted in its infancy, bitterness will continue to grow and its pungent effects exacerbated. To transform the root of bitterness into a more palatable element in one’s life, the prevailing issue must first be cut up into manageable pieces, addressing each segment individually. Then, through the application of the oil of the Holy Spirit and the generous administration of time, the root with its once pungencies of bitterness, becomes soft and palatable. By addressing any prevailing issue that has resulted in a root of bitterness in your life in this deliberate fashion, you can consume what has previously been consuming you, and reserve the ground of your life for the more beneficial seeds the Master seeks to sow, with this and each new day.