Many times, hidden among the roots of trees is a tuber, called the flame vine.
  Our sins are hidden deep within us.

The wiry strong vine grows up a tree… going out and around branches and leaves.  It sends out curly wiry tentacles, wrapping themselves securely around tiny twigs on a branch.
  Our sins grow in our lives in much the same way.  Wrapping themselves around our motives, our words and actions.  Not a pretty picture, is it?

The vine has sharp thorns and tiny prickly thorns, hard to grasp without drawing blood.
  Sins have thorns that can hurt others and ourselves.

Cutting off the vine, even at ground level does not get rid of the tuber of the vine.  It is still hidden away at some depth in the ground and it continues to send out its thorn laden tough vine.

Many times I dug 12-18 inches to try and find that tuber.  This requires time, perseverance, strength and patience.  The vine is not on a straight line with the tuber, even underground.  The vine may “travel” for some inches and from any angle from its source, many times hiding itself among the roots of trees.
  Our sins are like the tuber, difficult to find and root out.

We can use our wills to cut off the sins in our lives… but that does not take care of the root cause…sin!  Every one sins!  How can I say this?  Because God says so!
(NASB) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

How shall we be saved from our sins?  For the tuber is still hidden away deep in our lives.
Only Jesus can get rid of our sins.  He did that on the cross at His crucifixion.

We need to turn to Him… accept Him as our Savior.  He alone saves us from those thorny vines in our lives.

Come to Jesus…
He is a wonderful Savior and He meets us where we are…
the thorns, the tough vines of sin in our lives…
He alone can rid us of them.

Does that make us perfect?  No, not until we go to heaven.

But in the meanwhile, we are forgiven, loved, given His grace, mercy and redemption!

~ Take it to heart ~

(NASB) Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”