Poison ivy and poison oak (not related to real ivy or true oak) are quite common throughout the United States. They are a problem to people only and don’t bother dogs, cats, cows and horses. However, the poison can come in contact with the fur of these animals and is passed on to anyone who pets them.
The strong poison in these plants is an oil that comes out through the leaves, stems and even the roots, so that even in the winter a person rubbing against a bare branch may experience a painful itching rash, lasting almost a month. Even dead plants can be poisonous; also a wind blowing across the leaves can carry tiny droplets of the oil to a person’s skin, as can also smoke from their burning. Once the oil has penetrated the skin, doctors can only relieve the pain and itching a little, but the victim will still have a painful time of it, as over a million people discover every year.
These plants are not always easy to see as they grow along the ground or climb tree trunks or telephone poles. But the two of them have one thing in common — the leaves of both are in clusters of three to a stalk and can be as large as your hand or so small it would take half a dozen to match the larger ones. To be safe, stay away from all plants, bushes or vines that have three-leaf clusters on them!
In San Francisco ferry boats used to take passengers to enjoy outings in the surrounding areas. Visitors who did not know about poison oak would often return to the boat carrying bouquets of beautiful autumn-colored branches, thinking they were actually pretty oak leaves. Then someone would sound a warning, “Throw those overboard! They’re poison oak!” The victims would promptly do so and hurry to wash off the poison, but this did little good, for the oil had already penetrated into the pores of the skin and would soon be doing its painful work.
These hazardous plants, with their three-leaf clusters, remind us that the Bible says that, in addition to the poison of an unruly tongue mentioned in the beginning, there are three other harmful things that Satan often uses to tempt us. These are, “the lust of the flesh [using our bodies in a bad way], and the lust of the eyes [looking at things not pleasing to the Lord], and the pride of life [thinking ourselves better than others and wanting to be admired].” 1 John 2:1616For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16).
How much better to say “NO” to Satan when tempted by any of these bad things and ask the Lord’s help to do only that which pleases Him.
ML-12/04/1988