What makes a bog a bog?
Well, mostly it’s stuff rotting away under a layer of water.
Oh, it might not be rotten at first. The water might even be clear, and each of the items under the surface as fresh and attractive as when they went in.
Leaves, branches, flower petals.
There’s nothing wrong with any of these, but add water, don’t let it drain, and the things in the bog begin to rot. Let them build up enough, and they will begin to pull at our feet when we attempt to move forward through the bog.
Suck, swish, slurp … the rot is hungry for us.
An off-roading content creator from Australia knows about this. When the rains hit, the trails can eat shoes, tires, and transmissions. Most times a good winch can pull him out of the bog, but at times, it’s frustrating enough to be tempted to walk away and leave his truck behind … suck, swish, slurp.
Here’s another thing about a bog. You won’t find one on a mountaintop. The bog forms from the detritus of the past. Are you seeing where this is going?
Let’s turn to the Word to see how this applies to the Christian.
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) says:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
When we come to Christ, our old life is wiped away, and we are given new life through our Lord. Our past is a bog that will only pull us down. God wants us to step beyond the bog, to rise to the mountaintop, to find passage beyond the rotting remains of who we once were and into the refreshing of his presence.
You say you can’t pull free? This verse says differently. He will make “a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
God’s Word is a steppingstone beneath every footstep you take. His hand will guide you at every turn. When you thirst, he will provide clean, clear refreshment. When you hunger, his provenance is there.
How can you do this? Sink into the Word. Converse with saints who’ve proved themselves. Use prayer to talk and hear from the Lord.
Now walk forward, Christian. God is your guide, and Jesus is your companion along the way.
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