The Acorn Wreath

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. — Ezekiel 36:26

If you spend any time on social media during the fall season, you will see an endless stream of autumn crafts. And many of them are wreaths. Everything from kernels of corn to pine cones can be hot glued onto an oval frame and hung on a front door. Even the least crafty of us feel inspired to create something.

One year my children made me the prettiest wreath out of acorns. They had worked so diligently to hot glue dozens, if not hundreds, of tiny acorns together. They presented it to me with all the pride a couple of kids can muster. So, with an equal amount of pride, I laid the wreath on my dining room table and used it as a candleholder. It was so lovely... for a time.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret regarding acorn wreaths. You have to bake the acorns first. This step isn’t always listed on those lovely DIY blogs. It turns out that insects like to live in acorns, and you must remove them. This means that if you, hypothetically, use a wreath made from unbaked acorns as a candleholder on your dining room table, all kinds of unpleasantness will ensue.

When we come to God, the first thing He must do is empty us of all the unpleasantness that lives in our hearts. And we must repent and let go of all the things that have taken up residence within us. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before what is in us comes out. We may be quick to become angry when we don’t get our way. Perhaps we are prone to gossip or deception. Maybe we give in and return to old patterns of sin when things become difficult.

The beautiful thing about coming to Christ is He is not repulsed by our inner uncleanliness.

He knows exactly how to remove what needs to be removed so we can be made into something beautiful for Him.

Let’s allow the Lord to deal with whatever is in our hearts so that we can be the new creations He has called us to become.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. — Colossians 3:15

Excerpted with permission from Devotions for the Fall by Stacy Edwards, copyright Thomas Nelson.

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Your Turn

Imagine a father with his young child who has fallen in a mud puddle. He doesn’t get angry. He doesn’t blame her. He doesn’t shame her. He picks up his little one and cleans her with love, tenderness, and kindness. When we come to God, He doesn’t get angry, blame, or shame. He cleans us up because He’s a good Father! Don’t be anxious with Jesus who loves you. ~ Devotionals Daily