Pollen and Showers

A lot of folks (even those much older than I) are saying that this is one of the worst spring pollen seasons ever. No doubt, many have had a difficult time dealing with the pollen (including my family). Several years ago I had taken one of my girls to an allergy specialist for testing. As he was discussing with us about the effects of pollen on the sinuses, he made an interesting statement. He said, "It's not the pollen you can see, it is the microscopic pollen that you cannot seen that causes the most difficulty." That statement really brought to light many misconceptions about what gives us all the sinus trouble in the spring.

Being a pastor, I quickly sought to make a spiritual application from that statement. In our lives, it is easy to spot and recognize the "big sins" that could cause us to stumble. However, it is often the "small stuff" that creeps into our lives that evades the detection of our spiritual radar. That is why it is so important to maintain a healthy and close relationship with the Lord. If not, we can easily become desensitized to the seriousness of avoiding sinful tendencies. It doesn't take long for Satan to con us into believing that our sin is not that serious and it could never lead to anything disastrous.

It is much like the story of the Titanic. Many folks believe that the Titanic hit a massive iceberg that caused it to sink. The reality is that what caused the Titanic to sink was ice that was not visible because it was beneath the surface of the water. My prayer for all of you today is that the Holy Spirit would make us very aware of Satan's tactics. As we walk with the Lord and as He speaks to us, He can help us to be on-guard for what is lurking beneath the surface.

Just as the showers this morning washed away the yellow pollen that we can see, it also washed away the white pollen we cannot see. We need the Lord to shower us with His Word to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
"Showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need,
Mercy drops 'round us are falling, but for the showers we plead."

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior."
- Titus 3: 5-6