Die Already!!!

I am losing my mind!  My dogs (especially Mitch) have had fleas like crazy this year.  I've never seen such a case of fleas.  We've used every spray, shampoo and application imaginable, and they still have fleas.  I even broke down and bought a box of those expensive pills that are supposed to kill fleas within four hours.  It worked, we found dead fleas all over the place, and for a couple of days, the dogs seemed to be flea-free.  But after that, the fleas came back with a vengeance. 

Our best guess is that our yard must be infested with the nasty critters, so even though we've killed some off and have the dogs treated with medication that is supposed to repel others, there's just too many to fight off.  And that's exactly how I've felt for the past few months--like I'm fighting a losing battle.  Hopefully, sometime in the near future, we'll treat the yard with some flea spray and see if that doesn't do the trick.  Oh please, Lord, let that work!

Unfortunately, my fight with the fleas is not the only battle I'm struggling with, for I've found that killing off my bad habits and negative attitudes is just as difficult as getting rid of those pesky fleas.  Sure I've treated the problem with prayer and Bible reading.  I've made commitments to God and promises to myself to do better, but in the end, the problems still return.  As with the fleas, until I determine the source of the infestation, all the solutions in my arsenal are only temporary.  To rid my home and pets of the fleas, I have to first discover their location and then kill them.  To rid my life of bad habits and negative thoughts, I have to do the same.  I have to find their root and destroy it.  Until then, I truly am fighting a losing battle.

I agree with the psalmist when he said, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)  In fact, I like to go even a step farther:  

Search me, O God, and know my heart:  try me and know my thoughts:  And let me see if there be any wicked way in me. . .  Point it out to me, Lord.  Help me not only to see what I'm doing wrong, but also to track down the root of that thought, attitude or action.  Help me, Lord, to treat the cause and not just the symptoms.  Help me to die daily to my own selfish desires and to live a life that is pleasing to you.  Give me the strength to fight these daily battles and help me remember that my efforts are not in vain.  And if I may, Lord, may I ask one more thing?  Please, oh please, help me get rid of the fleas!