The Parsonal Computer

The Deeper Meaning of Poison Ivy

At a children’s church camp, one of the counselors was leading a discussion on the purpose God had for everything He created. They began to find good reasons for clouds and trees and rocks and rivers and animals and just about everything else in nature.

Finally, one of the children said, “If God had a good purpose for everything, then why did He create poison ivy?”

The discussion leader gulped and, as he struggled with the question, one of the other children came to his rescue, saying, “The reason God made poison ivy is because He wanted us to know there are certain things we should keep our cotton-pickin’ hands off.”

Too often, we view God’s forbidding commands as coming from one who wants to spoil our fun. We look at Him as a mean spirited dictator who takes pleasure in our misery. We think He is totally unreasonable and unrealistic. After all, this is the 21st Century.

Our God is a loving and caring father. He, like a good parent, often says “no,” not because He wants to ruin our day, but because He wants to protect us from greater harm. It is important for us to realize that He often tells us “no” to some things so that we might say “yes” to better and greater things.

There will always be things that we need to keep our cotton-pickin’ hands off of, but it’s so our hands will be open to receive His blessings.

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” Ephesians 5:3 (NIV)