Untrimmed bushes can conceal some ugly surprises! Before and after trim.

We lived in California’s High Desert for about eight years. The backyard of our four acres was home to lots of sand and over 50 Creosote bushes. Rain on a Creosote’s leaves is the best smell ever!

The only problem with them on property frequented by dogs and grandkids was that their dense bases made them good retreats for turtles and rattle snakes. The area was home to the Mojave Green rattler. The Mojave rattlesnake has both neurotoxic (nervous system and brain) and hemotoxic (tissue and muscle destruction) venom which is considered to be one of the most debilitating and potentially deadly of all rattlesnakes. (Wikipedia)

 Inasmuch as one of this species favorite ‘hang outs’ is under the Creosote bush, I cleared all the bases from their normal tangled mess to just enough branches that snakes couldn’t hide there. None of my grandkids were going to be bitten while reaching under a bush to get a Frisbee!

But let’s spiritualize this process. Scripture tells us that an angel “…seized the Dragon—that old Serpent, the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years.”  Revelation 20:2 TLB This is the temporary disposal of the evil one who comes only “to steal and kill and destroy;”  John 10:10 KJV

 Now if there’s a good chance he’s on our property and wants to steal, kill and destroy and has a wicked bite… we’d better clear the ‘brush’ out of our backyards. Don’t leave hiding places on the acreage of your life! Let me make it a bit more clear for you.

• Don’t watch stuff on television that gives the devil any crevasse into your soul.
• God’s Word is the Spirit’s ‘flashlight’ that can illuminate Satan’s hiding places… neglect it at your own peril.
• Don’t hang around looking at ads for things you don’t need, nor have the money for. It’s not a Scripture, but still true: a fool and his/her money are soon parted.
• If a fulfilled desire is at odds with God’s Word, clean out under that bush! Not everything we want is good for us.
• Do not support any business that is pitching woke or godlessness. We have to send a message to Disney and other retail giants that as long as they continue pushing an ‘anti-children’ agenda, we will decline letting them entertain or service us.

We cannot play in the sand under the Creosote bush until we have determined it safe! Let’s begin making it harder on the serpent, not paving his way for success. We cannot take God’s side in principle if we are ignoring it in practice!

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able

to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan.”

Ephesians 6:11 TLB