Matt 12:33 "Either make the tree sound (healthy and good), and its fruit
sound (healthy and good), or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad), and its
fruit rotten (diseased and bad); for the tree is known and recognized and judged
by its fruit." AMP
There once was a gorgeous forest in the shire of a mighty nation. It was renown
for its rolling hills covered with multitudes of ancient pine, maple and willow
trees. People enjoyed wandering along its many paths. In fact, people would come
from every nation around the world just to visit this ancient forest. Besides
offering shelter from the sweltering summer heat, there seemed to be something
"magical" about the forest, for those who entered in would find much needed rest
for their burdened souls.
In the forest was an overseer who never stopped proclaiming to all the trees of
this ancient forest the importance of swaying in the same direction. The young
trees learned very early on never to sway in a different direction from the
others.
Also in the forest there was a young red maple. "Why do we have to sway in the
same direction?" he asked the overseer one day.
"Destruction will come if we sway our own way," responded the wise one.
But the young red maple wasn't satisfied. "Why?" he asked.
"You will understand the day that disaster strikes," the old tree responded.
This didn't make sense to the young maple. What was wrong with swaying any way
you wanted to? After all, weren't each of the trees their own individual selves?
Then one day, a terrible storm appeared out of nowhere. No one in the shire had
time to prepare for its impact, even less the trees of the forest. The trees
started to sway back and forth.
The overseer's voice could barely be heard over the boisterous wind: "Let's all
keep on swaying in the same direction, guys!"
The thunder began to roll and the lighting flashed from all directions. The
trees of the forest began to be scared. The lightning struck right in the middle
of the forest. The overseer was hit, and he crumbled under the impact of the
blow. In all the confusion, the trees began swaying in all different directions.
Some of them even decided to stand still against the strong winds. "Who dares to
make us swing in such indecent postures!" they proclaimed.
These trees were quickly uprooted, and they slammed against the ones swaying
their own ways, knocking them down in the process. Devastation was everywhere.
Hope seemed to be completely lost. Some of the trees believed that if they shook
all their leaves off, they would stand a better chance against the storm.
However, the majority of the leaves fell on a nearby campfire, and soon the
trees were engulfed by wind-driven flames.
The next day the villagers grieved the loss of their forest. Burned trees, dead
to the core, stuck straight out of the ground. Other trees lay crisscrossed on
the ground. Only a few trees were still standing. The forest of the shire was
gone, lost because of its own disunity in the midst of the storm.
Now the young red maple understood the warnings of the overseer!
Does this sound familiar? Disunity is devastating at any time, but in the midst
of the terrible storms of life, it can be deadly. The evil one knows this and
uses this to his own advantage; but though he plays on the disunity of others,
he makes sure his own ranks stand united! Didn't Jesus say: Matt 12:25-26 "Any
kingdom that is divided against itself is being brought to desolation and laid
waste, and no city or house divided against itself will last or continue to
stand. And if Satan drives out Satan, he has become divided against himself and
disunified; how then will his kingdom last or continue to stand" AMP?
If Satan and his forces can stand united, how come we, as believers, are so
disunited? One member suffers when someone close to him dies, and soon he is not
attending church any longer. Another member experiences a terrible divorce, and
soon he is being avoided like the plague. Another one falls in the trap of sin,
and soon everyone is gossiping about him. Someone else focuses so much on the
responsibilities of his job that he neglects the responsibilities given to him
by the Lord Himself. Bickering, backstabbing, negativity, disunity . . . It's
become the norm among Christians! Why?
Why can the devil promote unity among his evil demons and we, as Christians,
cannot even exercise the love that Jesus showed us? Is this what prompted Jesus'
prayer just before his arrest: John 17:22-23 "I have given to them the glory and
honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in
them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that
the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have
loved them [even] as You have loved Me." AMP
Five times Jesus uttered this request in John 17. Five times! How heavy this
concern must have weighed on his heart! Was He aware of the upcoming disunity
among Christians and among denominations? Did He know in advance we would soon
forget that truth is a person, not a concept?
Is it possible that this disunity exist among us because we put our OWN
interests above the Lord's? Is it possible that the encouraging words proclaimed
in the New Testament have been replaced by condemnation and criticism because we
haven't noticed that our own worst enemy is our selfishness?
The only way out of this is to become solely dependent upon Jesus; to act the
way He acted while He was on the earth. May we take the following words to heart
and decide to fulfill Jesus' prayer: Phil 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish
ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than
yourselves." NIV
If every Christian makes this his motto, it won't belong before the entire
church sways together. Is unity important to you? Remember the words of the
overseer: "Let's all keep on swaying in the same direction, guys!"
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.