By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honor, and life.
Proverbs 22:4
One day, the trees in the forest were talking among themselves. The proud Narra tree said: " I have been in this forest for almost a hundred years, and I have stood tall and proud through all those years. I deserve to be called the king of the trees."
"Well, we can't dispute that. You were already here as I was growing up.", replied the acacia tree. "You may be king, but I should be the princess. Look at all these beautiful wild orchids clinging to my trunk and branches. Are they not ornaments worthy of a princess?"
"Very well," the Narra tree replied. "You are now the princess of the forest. How about you, Mahogany tree? What would you like to be?"
"Since my body is hard and strong, I would like to be the captain of the guards. Is that alright, King Narra?" the mahogany tree requested.
"A fitting position for someone of your stature. It should be as you wish.” the King magnanimously conceded.
"And how about me, Your Highness? What shall I be?” a timid voice asked from behind. The king turned around and looked straight at the bamboo diffidently standing before him. He started laughing so hard that the birds perched on his branches were startled and flew in every direction.
"What? You want a place in my kingdom? What foolish ambition. You're not even a tree. You are GRASS! Do you hear that? I don't have any place for you in my scheme of things. Now, quit bothering me.", the king admonished.
All the other trees laughed at the bamboo. They can't imagine how the bamboo had the nerve to think that he can be a part of such a distinguished company of the tall and proud trees of the forest.
Days later, a storm hit the area. Strong winds howled through the forest, thick sheets of rain made visibility impossible, thunders rolled and lightning bolts ripped the sky. The trees fought hard to survive the onslaught of the raging storm. The battle for survival went on all day and all through the night. The next morning, the sun shone brightly as if the storm has never been. But casualties lay around the forest floor, evidence of the fateful event. King Narra has tumbled to the ground, his massive trunk split in the middle by a lightning bolt. Not too far is Princess Acacia, her branches broken and the wild orchids lay scattered around her. Lamenting nearby is the proud Mahogany, leaning dangerously to one side, ready to topple any minute. He looked at the bamboo, still standing straight and tall.
"However did you survive?” he asked in genuine puzzlement.
The bamboo replied, "Very simple captain. I have learned when to bow and when to stand straight and true. I have humbled myself before a mightier force, and it has spared me."
Sometimes we are like the trees in the forest. We stand proud before God, refusing to acknowledge our dependence upon Him. We believe ourselves secure in our own capabilities to go through life with success, until trials and tribulations leave us humbled and broken. We should take a lesson from the humble bamboo. We should surrender our pride, our ambitions and our whole lives to God, because only in Him can we find true riches, honor and life.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4
