Watermelon Hearts and Raccoons

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10 KJVA

Over the years I have noticed that some people seem to have a hollow look. As I have considered a multitude of reasons why this could be , I have thought that at times the hollowness could be a result of not having one or both parents. Or they might look hollow because they were repeatedly abused by a parent. Others might look hollow because they had an abusive mate and over a period of time they began to die on the inside.

As a teenager growing up on the farm, we would plant several acres of watermelons each year. I always enjoyed walking up and down those long rows looking at all our beautiful melons. Occasionally I would notice one that was starting to shrink. After closer examination, I would discover the problem.

During the night a raccoon had invaded our watermelon patch and dug a hole in the melon large enough to reach in and eat the heart out of it. When the sun came up the next morning, it would cause the melon to start shrinking because it had no heart.

Making such a discovery was all the encouragement I needed to get Old Blue and Binky (our two hound dogs), and go coon hunting that night. Of course Old Blue, Binky and I didn't need a lot of encouragement to go coon hunting. We felt it was our Christian duty to rid the watermelon patch of pesky racoons

Over the years I've seen a lot of hollow looking men and women who have had their hearts destroyed by an invading enemy as well.

I remember one man in particular that came to a service in which I was speaking. I was particularly drawn to pray for this man. As I started praying, God began giving me revelation knowledge about this man and how to pray for him. When I finished praying for the man he left and went home. During the night the power of God came upon him in such a way that it transformed his life. The next morning, his wife didn't recognize him as the same man. I found out later that his boss and friends didn't recognize him either. He had been terribly abused as a young man, but God had performed such a supernatural healing that he literally became a new man.

My point is-when we see a brother or sister who is starting to shrink on the inside-it is time to go hunting. Your hunting companions are not a couple of old hound dogs-it is the sword of God. Discovering and healing shrinking Christians is our responsibility. It is one thing to search out and destroy a watermelon heart-stealing coon, and it is another thing to search out and destroy the damage done by the thief that steals the human heart.

Father,

I thank you for searching out and destroying the invader of my shrinking heart. Help me to always be a faithful spiritual hunter for the sake of those who are now experiencing that shrinking feeling. You said in your Word that the devil has come to steel, kill and destroy, but you have come to give life and that more abundantly. My desire is to have your heart of restoration.

Amen!