Not everything is what it seems

Job 20:5  

“The mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.”

 

tallowtree.jpgWe used to have a Chinese tallow tree in our front yard.  It was about the only tree in our yard, or in the woods on our property, that produced color in the fall.  It is an attractive tree, and a fast growing tree, so a person can plant one and reasonably expect it to produce shade in a short amount of time.  Vicki was particularly fond of the tree and I have to admit, it looked great in her front yard landscape design.  Oh, but there is something else I probably ought to share . . . an article in a local paper said:  “The tallow is one of the nastiest exotic species in the area . . . the rate of growth with these trees is outrageous.”  Now that is another way of looking at “it will produce shade in a short amount of time!”  A biologist from Eglin AFB then added: “When the Chinese tallow gets established it out-competes the native plants which ultimately effects wildlife.  We consider it biological pollution and a major threat to Eglin’s eco-system.”  The article goes on to explain that the roots of the tallow secrete a toxin that eliminates native species.

 

Isn’t it amazing that something attractive and seemingly helpful can, at the same time, be so destructive?  My friend, that is how sin works.  It looks attractive and pleasurable but it has toxins in its roots.  When we allow it to grow it crowds out the things that are truly helpful and will, eventually, take over; its nature is to poison everything around it. 

The article recommended a chain saw and some herbicide as a remedy.  I guess the spiritual solution is the same: cut it out and take measures to see that it doesn’t grow back. 

 

But don’t forget; God is an ever-present help!  Praise Him for His faithfulness and trust Him for His power to save! 

 

Pastor Keith Andrews