Erosion

Erosion

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to the
things we have heard, so that we do not drift away."
Hebrews 2:1

Already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is referred to by some as "The Eroding Nation". Haiti's well documented poverty is rooted in many areas but one of particular note is the erosion of the soil that has resulted in the land being unable to produce even close to the amount of food needed to sustain the Haitian people. That erosion did not happen overnight and the story behind it provides valuable lessons for each of us.

To meet the needs of the charcoal industry, trees were cut down in Haiti at such a rate that the forests in the mountains disappeared. The result of the almost total deforestation that occurred was that rains coming down from the mountains swept away the topsoil of the land, destroying the land's ability to produce food. The topsoil washed into the sea, in turn polluting the ocean off Haiti, decimating the fishing industry, and reducing one more source of food crucial to the survival of the Haitian people.

None of this happened overnight; it was a process that occurred over hundreds of years until the effects became obvious, clear to all, but unfortunately, irreversible. The same is too often true spiritually; believers don't run away from the Lord all at once but they slip away a little at a time until they find themselves far from God not knowing where to turn for help and how to get themselves out of the pit they've fallen in. Paul was addressing this problem with his warning in Hebrews 2:1 to "pay more careful attention" to what we have been taught so that we don't let the truths of Christian living that meant so much to us at one time "slip away".

Erosion, the process of wearing something away, is as real in the spiritual realm as it is in the natural and the results are equally devastating. It might start with our not having enough time to ever read our Bible until we find ourselves too distracted to pray.

Eventually, we end up having lost our desire for the things of God, not being interested in attending church or, at the very least, using any excuse to not go. Haiti is a barren land of poverty and there is a corresponding spiritual barrenness that God wants to warn us about and keep us from ending up in. One key is found in Ephesians 5:15 which says "Be very careful how you live". Get control of your life today!

Make sure nothing is slipping away without you realizing its' importance. Make sure that you are guarding the things that result in fruitfulness and growth, spending time with the Lord, and making your relationship with Him your number one priority.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church