Heartworms are parasitic worms spread through the bite of a mosquito. They lodge in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of the dog. Some of them (females) can grow to one foot long. When the "worm burden" is high enough, they can actually block blood flow to and from the heart. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, coughing, signs of heart failure, and other organ failure. It can take 5 to 7 years for an infected dog to die, which means that our Ezekiel must have been infected very young.
If you have a dog, you need to know these things. If you take your dog on vacations with you, the percentage of heartworm cases in your own home town no longer matters because you might very well be in a high percentage area for your entire vacation, and it only takes one bite. If you have an "indoor" dog, your dog still is not safe. Mosquitoes can fly in and out every time you open your door, and what about those walks you take him on? If you don't have "those kind" of mosquitoes in your area, just wait for the next big blow coming off the Gulf, one of the highest concentration areas there is, and you might. It has been known to happen. Heartworm cases have been reported in every state in the Union.
Needless to say, all of our pets since Zeke have been given a preventive as early as it is allowed. They are also tested every year to make sure. If you are going to have a dog, in Florida especially, you simply have to do this, or face losing a beloved pet every five years or so. The percentages are too high otherwise.
Sin is like that, but even worse. You may have a tiny chance that your pet will not be infected with heartworms in Florida, but you won't have any chance at all with sin. We are all infected, and it will kill our souls as surely as a badly infected dog will die of heartworms. The problem in our culture today is not taking sin seriously. It is fodder for comics (Flip Wilson's "the Devil made me do it"), something to ridicule in Christians, and an outdated philosophy. "Let go of the guilt," we are told. "There is nothing to feel guilty about." But there most certainly is—the infection rate is 100%, and it doesn't matter where you live. For all have sinned and fall short…" Rom 3:23, and I have yet to find anyone who claims to be perfect, not even an unbeliever.
Many heartworm treatments after infection are dangerous to the dog. They can kill the animal. The treatment for sin is not only 100% effective, but easy to use and has no harmful side effects, unless you count righteousness, hope, and joy as "harmful." All you need to do is pick up your Bible and start reading. Luke's gospel is a good place to start if you want to truly know the Savior, followed by the sequel by the same author, the book of Acts. In that book you will find conversion after conversion. Make a few lists as you read: where they began (Jews who knew the prophets, pagans who knew only their myths and philosophers), things they were told and what they ultimately did to gain salvation. You might be surprised what you don't find listed as well as what you do find listed in every single instance.
Heartworms are deadly serious to dogs. Sin is deadly, and eternally, serious to humans. Get yourself treated as soon as possible.
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated (Ps 36:1-2).
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Heb 10:22).
Dene Ward