Just A Bee

The Bee

Recently we were sitting on our patio, enjoying a late summer afternoon, just chatting to one another when I saw this little honey bee which landed on one of our plants. I didn’t take a lot of notice of it at that instance other than to be glad that it was visiting us and helping to pollenate the plants we have sitting out there. As we continued with our conversation I began to notice some of the little things that the bee was doing. Now, I am no apiarist, but, I am aware of some of the things that bees do. The main thing that caught my eye was the fact that this little bee was hanging around this one particular plant. Admittedly, it had many flowers on it. So I continued to watch and noticed that the bee was visiting every flower on this little herb plant. This went on for quite some time and then I began to realize that this little creature was not conforming to, what I understood to be, a normal trait of the honey bee. It seemed to be collecting nectar yet, as my experience of other honey bees has been, it never flew away or moved to another plant. This seemed a little strange to me.

Again, in my experience, honey bees are amazing workers and, there are many analogies about how diligent and productive they are. But, they come to a point in their work where it becomes necessary for them to return to the hive to offload their collected burden. However, this little bee did no such thing. It would stop periodically and move on to the next flower, continuing to work. Then, there was a feeling that came over me of an almost urgent obsession in this little creature. Some of the studies I have read explain that these worker bees are born, not so much with an obsession but with a single purpose. These little creatures are born to find, collect, and return with nectar from flowers to the hive where other workers will carry out their duties, like producing the honey. They are not only diligent but totally loyal to their hive family, regardless of the cost to themselves. For instance, even if one of these collector bees run out of energy, they will never use a single drop of the nectar they have harvested for themselves. They will never steal from their work.

I have seen bees walking on the ground who have, obviously, run out of energy but if a line were drawn between them and their hive, they would still be heading towards it, trying to get “home”. Not for the comfort of it, but for the completion of their work, their mission. You can view this as an obsession but, in fact, it is an absolute dedication to that mission, their family and, even the survival of the hive. The same little bee, though out of energy, would continue to try and reach the hive to the point where it would even die in the attempt. As humans, it is difficult to imagine one of our species laying down their life for the good of all. It is not a natural thing for us to consider, but the bee is born with this duty within their genes.

I looked over at the plant and saw that the little bee was still there but that it was no longer crawling around the flowers. It was perfectly still, I continued to watch for a short while and then I realized the little creature had died.

I readily admit that sadness came over me as I looked at that tiny body which had unselfishly spent and, dedicated it’s life to which it was born.

Over the previous few days I had been looking at my life and trying to more clearly define what my purpose is, how my life should be used. I was very humbled as I realized that I had been given this story to tell about the little bee to clarify my purpose in life.

Let me take you back in time and expand upon a story that you most probably will already know but, in a little more detail than perhaps you have heard before:-

The Man

There was once this man who, like the bee, had a very heavy burden to carry and a destination that he was compelled to reach with this burden on his back. He could not put it down because other people’s lives depended upon him delivering it. He was very tired, to the point of exhaustion. He was bruised and scarred from the journey he had to take, but would not rest until the job was done. Just like the bee, He was born to make this journey.

Of course, the reference is to Jesus. He was forced to make that journey to Golgotha where He would be crucified. But, the burden He carried was not just the cross itself but, the weight of our sins which He had collected and which would be paid for by His blood as it was spilled at Calvary. Even though the physical cross was later taken from Him and carried to the place where it was destined to be, Jesus still had to force himself to reach Calvary by His own strength alone. Nobody else helped him physically. They were not allowed to, as suffering was part of the punishment. Part of the price that had to be paid. But, just like the bee, He had His focus on this earthly destination and the burden He carried. Our Salvation depended upon Him alone.

Throughout time there have been many sacrifices of one man’s life given up for others. Those who have died that others could live in freedom and peace. These people are never to be forgotten for their amazing, selfless sacrifices. They are to be honoured for their service and dedication to their fellow man. But Jesus took it so much further. He was born for the single purpose of saving mankind from itself. He not only paid the ultimate price for us, He left us with a greater gift of peace and freedom, but a life of eternal peace and freedom.  Literally born to die – in our stead. He had to finish His journey with the burden that He was carrying. He had to die to pay for our sins. Past, present, and future. We would not survive of our own efforts because the price that we could pay was insufficient to cover the price demanded by the Law.

So what would have become of us if Jesus hadn’t made it to Calvary?

A Rabbit Trail

It’s quite relevant that we should look at the entire situation because there are a number of points that are worthy of being brought to your attention.

The Lord God Almighty could have sent Jesus to the earth pretty much immediately to battle against Satan to win back our salvation. But, He didn’t. However, He had a plan. Referring back to the Bible we see that everything was provided for Adam and Eve. It was a perfect place to live and to grow but Adam and Eve were not conscious of this amazing gift and were easily manipulated into committing their sin. Realize now that the Lord will never tolerate sinners to be in His presence and so, He had to eject Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. As proof of His intolerance of sin He even placed cherubim, angels holding a flaming sword at every entrance into the Garden of Eden to stop at Adam and Eve from reentering.  Why? because they were now sinners, and to allow them back into the Garden of Eden, would give them access to the Tree of Life and, if they should then eat of it, sin could live forever! So, that is why they were no longer allowed to enter into the Garden,.

Satan had successfully separated the Lord from His children and, the only way that they (we) could ever return to His presence was to pay the price for sin as laid down in the Law.

The Law Against Sin (at that time)

When you look back into the Old Testament, you will see that there are specific rules (laws) whereby judgments were made.  Originally, the penalty for sin was death by the taking of the life and the pouring out the blood of the one that had committed the sin. So, Adam should have paid for his sin, however, Satan is a legalist.  He would have demanded that the law, as set down by God be carried out in full. “An ox for an ox” was the law. Therefore, not just any man could pay the price, because the man (Adam) at the time before the sin was committed, was perfect, but once he had sinned, he was no longer perfect, and this imperfection disqualified him from being able to pay the price that the law demanded.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: (Mat 5:38).  Satan would have made that demand or he would have been able to accuse God of not keeping His own law.

God knew that there was no longer a perfect man on the earth to pay the price that His own Law required for that sin. But there were other things within His strategic plan.

He knew that He had to send Jesus as the perfect man to pay that price, but He also realised that mankind had to be given the reasons for that need so that they would not be ignorant and therefore vulnerable to sin again.

Today we have the Bible as our reference and, it contains all of the information that we need in order to live the life that God intended for us to live. From Genesis through to Revelation the Lord has laid out mankind’s journey so that we can look back and see where man has made the mistakes he has, and where God has saved him from the potentially deadly ones.  He also reveals His instructions, and commandments as guidelines that we are given in order that we should be able to live that same life He has planned for each of us. But the relevant point is that the Bible, as a record, and an instruction manual also includes future prophecies as instructions for us to follow yet He leaves us in no doubt that He has not removed choice from us. He has always wanted children but does not want automatons for a family.

As we read and study the Bible we have the opportunity to learn from those mistakes that have been made throughout time. If we follow the guidelines that have been laid out within the Bible and comply with its instructions, we are promised a peaceful and abundant life including that eternal life.

When we become born again, we become more aware of the life we can live, including the purpose for which we were created. Once we discover who we truly are and accept that we really do have a purpose, then our role is to fulfill it by following what the Lord tells us via the Holy Spirit. This purpose becomes the mission field for your life and, just like the little bee, you will understand just how important you are to others and how much less the world will be if you do not discover your purpose, or step up and fulfill it. Of course, Satan will try and derail you, resist you. But, if you remain true and fight the world, as such, you will prevail because of who is alongside you. Satan (the World) has already been defeated and overcome.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33)  

You do have a purpose, and like the little bee, we need you to carry it out.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Heb 12:1) 

The apostle Paul, nearing his end is said “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Timothy 4:7)

My little bee didn’t make it all the way home to deliver it’s burden. But, it certainly tried!.