Century Plant
AnalogyNature Nugget★★★★The century plant is a spiky desert succulent. It has swordlike leaves with sharp points. They grow to 18 inches long and three inches wide.
Rain doesn’t come often in the desert, but when it does it falls in torrents, washing over the sand toward low areas. The century plant then hoards water in its huge leaves. This allows it to sustain itself for many months until it gets more water.
Though people used to believe the century plant must be 100 years old to bloom, it actually blooms sometime after it’s 8 years old. By that time its flower stalk has reached 15 to 40 feet. Insects swarm to the blossoms for nectar, and birds come to feed on the insects. This is the plant’s only chance to share its yellow flowers. When the blooms drop, the plant dies, leaving seeds and little “suckers” that start new plants.
Have you met people who don’t know Jesus or who’ve turned away from Him? Maybe you plan to tell them about Him someday.
But life is uncertain. People move away or die from accidents, diseases, or old age. So if we don’t share Jesus’ love when we have the chance, we may never have another opportunity. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
Where does the world start? At your fingertips. How are you going to help today?
MISSION: Brainstorm some good methods of sharing Jesus’ love. Then prayerfully put your plans into action.
Elaine Egbert, Nature in a Nutshell: Daily Devotions for Juniors, 56.
The point
The century plant stores water for years and blooms only once before dying, illustrating that we must seize the opportunity to share Jesus's love because life is uncertain.