Imagine yourself entangled in a vine twisting itself around your arms and fingers, making it so you can’t move.  Scary thought isn’t it?

Sin is like such a vine, winding and spiraling itself around our thinking, our actions and our words.  Even our motives become ensnared in wrong thinking.  The offshoots of the root of sin are relentless, weaving their way into our very being.

There is a tuber, rooted beneath the ground and sending out a tough spiny vine, to grow up a tree, to reach out to branches, all the time climbing to where the sunshine is the strongest.  If left to itself, it will cover the top of the tree, and the tree will not receive the needed sunlight.

Sin is rooted deep in our lives, and it also grows into our lives, sending out shoots which entwine our thinking and our doing.

Jesus, the Son of God, came so we can be forgiven of those sins which entangle us.  He works at getting those clinging sins out of our lives.

As I cut and pulled some wiry, thorny vines from a few of the trees in my back yard, I thought of Jesus, doing that for me in my life.  What satisfaction it must give my Savior to release me from sins which entangle.  He doesn’t just pull down the cut vines of sin, He roots out the cause of the sin… which is far better!

Do I always cooperate with Him?  No.  Sadly, I don’t.  But, oh, how wonderful it is when I am released from the sins which entangle me!

I encourage you to let the Lord Jesus work in your life, to take away the entangling sins.

~ Take it to heart ~

The Lord tells us that we have a great cloud of witnesses… because we know they are rooting for us, cheering us on.  Tell Jesus about your sins, ask His forgiveness and lay aside those sins which entangle.  You do not need to continue to be ensnared by them!  You can be freed by faith in Jesus.

Life is not a sprint; it is an endurance race.  Keep on living.  Keep on fixing your eyes on Jesus.  He is the author of your faith.  He is the perfecter of your faith.  He knows what you are going through, He has been there, He has done that… He even endured the cross.  He scorned the shame as He hung on that cross for all the world to see.  He died on that cross.  He was buried in a tomb.

But… but he was resurrected from the grave!  He is now seated, physically seated, at the right hand of God in heaven.
Hebrews 12:1-2

Let Jesus take the tough vines of sin out of your life.  Call to Him, ask Him to be your Savior.  Ask Him to forgive you of your sins… and watch Him work!  Does this mean you will not ever sin again?  No, it does not.  However it does mean you have a Savior who will be with you, releasing you from the entanglement of your sins.

Praise the Lord for His work on our behalf!