Orange
What We Can Learn About God From This Everyday Fruit
(Excerpt from the book God is Like a Box of Crayons)
This bright color was named after the orange fruit, a source of vitamin C. We are told we need this invisible nutrient, but why? What does Vitamin C do for us?
During the age of discovery, from the 15th to the 18th century, 2 million people died from vitamin C deficiency. As explorers crossed vast oceans and looked to the great beyond they didn’t know why they kept getting sick. It turns out it was from a lack of vitamin C. They called the disease scurvy.
When you are in short supply of vitamin C, your body falls apart. Without vitamin C, you can no longer produce collagen, the glue that keeps your body’s cells together. Old wounds reappear, previously broken bones are once again broken. Parts of your body, like your gums, putrefy and turn black, all because you are lacking in Vitamin C. The glue that held you together is gone.
When we look at our world, we see it falling apart. Old wounds of hate, racism, division, and despair are reappearing. We don’t see orange when we look out into the world. We see things turning black. Maybe it’s time to look to something brighter, something orange that contains the nutrients for healing.
“He is the exact image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation, the eternal. It was by Him that everything was created: the heavens, the earth, all the things within and upon them, all things seen and unseen, thrones and dominions, spiritual powers and authorities. Every detail was crafted through His design, by His own hands and for his purposes. He has always been! It is His hands that hold everything together.” - Colossians 1:15-17 (VOICE)
The glue that is missing from our world is missing because we are missing the key ingredient. Jesus, the King of the Universe.
Paul reminds us again in Hebrews,
“The Son perfectly mirrors God and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what he says-powerful words.” - Hebrews 1:2-3 (MESSAGE)
We need more of Jesus, more of His words in our lives and in our world. Because just like an orange holds the secret ingredient to our body holding itself together, so too is God the ingredient that keeps our world from falling apart.
If you enjoyed this devotional you’ll love all 30 of the God is Like a Box of Crayons Observational book.
