A little boy stood looking at a giant oak tree. In his hand, he held an acorn. As he looked at the acorn, he envisioned planting it and watching a tree grow. A lady standing nearby heard his plan and told him that if he planted the acorn, he would not live long enough to see a giant oak grow as tall as the one in front of him. The tree was 100 years old. He was sad, and ran to his mother in tears. When he told her what the lady had said, she gave him hope with the following words. “If you plant the acorn, a year from now the tree will be up to your knees. In two years, it will be taller than you are. As you get older and begin to court, you can bring your girlfriend for a picnic under its branches. Your children can play around it, and your grandchild will enjoy seeing the tree standing tall. No, you won’t  see it grow as tall as this one, but you can enjoy it as it is growing.” Her final comment to her son was, “You won’t live 100 years, but you hold 100 years in your hand. But first you must plant the seed.”

There is a Chinese proverb that says, “One generation plants the tree; the next generation gets the shade.” I think there is a lot of truth to that. Think about what the men and women of the Bible have “held in their hand.” When Jochebed put Moses in a basket and hid him in the bullrushes, she could not know that he would become the salvation of their nation. When David walked out to meet Goliath, I doubt he had in mind serving God as king of Israel. Yet when he took a sling and five stones and faced the enemy of Israel, he proved that God was with him and that he was destined for great things. When Esther walked into the throne room of the king, she had no idea if her presence would be acknowledged or if she would be killed. When Ruth made the decision to go home with Naomi, she couldn’t know that through her seed all the nations of the earth be blessed. When Isaiah said, “Lord send me,” how could he know that he would prophesy of the coming of the Savior and be quoted for years to come? When the disciples were chosen from their common walks of life, they could not know they would serve a risen Savior all of their lives and live in history as those who proclaimed the Gospel to the whole world.

There are so many more examples, but the point is that it’s the little things that can change the course of our lives and the lives of many for years to come.

I think about a little girl who invited her friend to Bible class. The little girl faithfully attended, and when she was older she obeyed the Gospel. She grew into a Christian woman, who married a Christian, and they had seven sons. The seven sons grew up and became Gospel preachers. All of this started with a little girl inviting her friend to Bible class. Look what she held in her hand—an invitation!

We can never weigh the value of what we do on a daily basis. We can’t know how the Lord will use us for the present and for the future. We also do not know how the Lord will use the past, even our mistakes, to benefit someone, somewhere.

Just as good things can come from planting, so can evil things. It was a piece of fruit for Adam and Eve; it was a  deceitful plot by Rebekah and Jacob; it was an inappropriate glance at a woman bathing for David; it was thirty pieces of silver for Judas. Any of these could have been turned into righteous behavior, but the works of the flesh were stronger than the fruits of the Sprit.

So, what happens if the little boy does not plant the acorn? There will, of course, be no tree. God’s plan for man is about doing and using what is in front of us. It is about taking advantage of the moment, the small, insignificant things that can make a glorious path for Christ and the church.

There is a song we often sing in worship that reminds me of this little boy and why we need to do as he did with the acorn. The words are:

God Holds the Future in His Hands

Dread not the things that are ahead,
The burdens great, the sinking sands,
The thorns that o’er the path are spread,
God holds the future in His hands.

God holds the future in His hands
And every heart He understands.
On Him depend,
He is your Friend,
He holds the future in His hands.

We know not what tomorrow hides,
Of sun or storm or good or ill;
We only know His dear hand guides,
And He will be our Father still.

His hand created earth and sky,
The zephyrs and the storms that rage,
And years to come and years gone by
To Him are but an open page.

Live close to Him and trust His love,
Assured that while on earth we roam,
Whate’er may come, He bends above
To guide His children safely home.

Words by James Rowe, 1922.

Paul said in First Corinthians 3:6, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” It was that way with the little boy in the story. He had to plant in order for anything to happen. Someone had to plant the Gospel before it could be cultivated and produce Christians. Our job is to plant and watch God’s hand in our lives and the lives of others.

Sandra Oliver