Such A Tiny Seed!

     A little banyan seed once said to a lofty palm tree, “I am so tired of being tossed hither and tither by the wind.  Will you let me find shelter for a while among your great leaves?”  “Oh yes,” said the large palm tree.  “You are welcome to stay as long as you wish.”  So the banyan seed nestled down among the leaves of the palm tree.  Soon the palm tree forgot all about the little banyan seed.  But the tiny seed was not idle.  It sent out little roots and fibers which crept around the mighty trunk and under the bark of the palm tree. 
     In time, the palm tree felt life being sucked out of his structure. Alarmed, he cried out, “What is this?” The banyan seed replied, “It is only me, the seed you welcomed to rest among your leaves.”  “Now you must leave,” shouted the palm.  “You are growing too large and much too strong to stay. You are sapping my strength.”  “I cannot leave you now,” said the banyan seed, “for we have grown together.  I should kill you if I tore myself away.” 
     The mighty palm tree rustled its leaves and tried to throw off the banyan, but it could not.  Gradually the palm leaves began to wither and the great trunk shriveled until at last only the banyan tree could be found.  Here’s the analogy: bad habits and sin operate comparatively.  They slide smoothly into a person’s life then with time take over.  Eventually, they consume a person’s mind and character.
     I like the way God’s Word compares sin to yeast: “Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?  Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast” (I Corinthians 5:6-7).  In the story, if the palm tree had been wise it would have never allowed the little banyan residence.  Likewise, may we never allow the seed of bitterness or animosity to have a home in our lives, because they will eventually take us down. 
     Wisdom speaks loud: “Don’t start a bad habit and you will never have to fight it.”  When these culprits come knocking at your door tell them where they can go.  Don’t entertain their lies and you will never have to struggle with the consequences. Several years ago there was a massive volcanic explosion in the state of Washington when Mount St. Helens erupted.  Sheriff Bill Closner said, “People were in the danger areas around the mountain because they would not obey the obvious roadblocks.  The bottom line is that nobody would listen.”  As a result, there were needless deaths and injuries.  Refusing to heed the warning has serious consequences.  Why are we so shocked at their demise?  They walked into the fire with their eyes wide open. 
     In an upholstering shop, if a piece of material is cut too short, there is no way it can be stretched to fit the part for which it was intended. However, while the material is too small for its original purpose, it can be used elsewhere on the chair. Some sins have consequences that disqualify us from the original plan, but there is still hope.  For more info you can visit us at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com.

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Click on the picture for larger view of the Banyan tree