Residue: Uproot/ Wash It Away

Scripture

Matthew 15:13(NASB): But He answered and said, " Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.

Matthew 12:34 (KJV) O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Residue: a small amount of something that remains after the main part has gone or been taken or used (Oxford Languages)

Devotion

When I think of the word residue, I drift off to the last time I ate spaghetti for dinner. It was so good, but judging by my plate, you knew what was in it. The residue was visible! Then I thought about the last time I wore my favorite red lipstick! It looked amazing and I received many compliments, but then I used a makeup wipe to take it off. It seemed to be all gone, but the second wipe showed the truth! There was still…residue! It was not as visible when I glanced at myself in the mirror.

Many times, we go through things in our lives and we think we are completely healed. It could be in the form of something or someone, but we do not realize the present residue until something happens to triggers a memory or feeling of past pain or hurt. We then realize we may not be completely over it like we thought. We find ourselves feeling different and wondering… was I ever over it? Truth is, many times we have the residue on us and we do not even recognize it. Residue may not always be noticeable until we are confronted with that situation again. Then we realize that we have more to pray about and more work to do.

How do we get rid of the residue? First, we must acknowledge that there are still areas we need to work on. Then we must speak the word of God as we prepare for the uprooting. In Matthew 15:13, we are reminded that God will uproot everything that He did not plant. We must remember to pray, pulling on God's word for what to pray. Next, we must ask God to help us unpack and peel back the layers of residue so that we can be completely healed. Finally, we must prepare ourselves for the test that will give us a testimony to tell others of our healing. We will never know what we have learned if we never get tested. So, expect to be confronted with what hurt you or what caused you pain. How we react when we are tested will reveal our true growth.

Prayer

Dear God,

I recognize I have residue of things that hurt me in my past. Lord, please uproot and wash away the residue that tries to keep me hostage. Reveal to me what I need to work on to get my complete healing from my past hurt and pain. Let my complete healing inspire others to travel the road to complete healing. Lord, I want to pass the test, but I know I cannot do it without you. Lord, keep my heart clear of resentment, anger, and unforgiveness. May love, forgiveness, understanding, and all that is pure flow out of the abundance of my heart (Matthew 12:34). I trust and believe that this will work out for my good. Lord, thank you in advance.

Amen