Daily Devotional for Thursday, May 7
The Symbol of a Parable
“And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees,” Luke 21:29.
It was once an ordinary bamboo stick from the jungle. However, in the hands of a skilled hunter like Awa Wame, a simple bamboo stick becomes a weapon. He attaches his hand-crafted arrowhead to one end and engraves his markings into the shaft. That bamboo stick became Wame’s arrow, and everyone in the village recognized it.
It gains significance the more we learned about it. Wame cut it from Peleg’s sacred bamboo grove. That grove produces the best arrows because the stems are naturally straighter than most. Wame selected and cut one and fashioned it into his best arrow.
That process takes time and patience. The stem is repeatedly passed through the fire and straightened more and more each time until there is no bend at all. Individual carvings are then made into the flesh, and the arrow is allowed to dry. Once dry, the hand-made arrowhead is attached, and it is adorned with feathers and twine.
A few years ago, Chase used a bamboo arrow to teach on being a godly husband and father. Psalm 127 likens a hunter’s arrows to children. An arrow must be straight to shoot its target. It takes lots of time and patience. We want to fashion our children in such a way that when they are launched into adulthood, their path is straight. The arrows became reminders of God’s Word.
The day we said goodbye to our Yetfa family, Awa Wame gave his arrow to Chase. It was no longer a simple bamboo stick but a treasured gift that held meaning and significance.
Jesus used His creation to teach multiple lessons. Each lesson applied a practical and godly principle using objects and concepts familiar to the listeners. Those lessons are effective because they are relatable. Each time the disciples saw a fig tree, they remembered Jesus’ teachings.
THOUGHT
“But the Comforter…shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).
Kelli Reynolds