When I think of the word "invention," there is one invention that stands out among the rest for me. For some, it may be the automobile, and to others it may be the airplane, or the cell phone, or even the toilet! But to me, the greatest invention ever thought of would be
Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin. You may not appreciate this invention if you've never had to pick cotton by hand. There are 20 to 35 seeds in one cotton flower. And those who had to pick the cotton on a hot and muggy southern day had to not only beware of the sharp thorns that would pierce their fingers, but they would also have to remove the many seeds within. I remember one time attempting to remove the seeds of a cotton flower for the very first time. I remember taking out a boll, and beginning to remove the seeds. I remember feeling around and thinking, This won't be bad, there's only about five seeds. And then I remember thinking, Wow, these seeds are harder to get out than I thought! As I worked on the one seed, I remember doing what I could to remove as much cotton from that seed as I could. It was a task. And then, when I got to my fifth seed, suddenly, I felt the cotton boll, and it seemed like now I was feeling about ten seeds! So I began to work on getting those out, and by the time I was done with those, I remember feeling even more! Suddenly, I developed a great respect for the many before me who picked cotton for a living! As I finished with the last seed, I remember looking at my cotton and thinking, Now it looks yellow and dirty!
It makes me think of our lives. In each life there are some obvious lumps that need to be removed. And as we begin to work on our lives and remove the obvious issues we are confronted with because of our depraved humanity, suddenly we find 10 more issues! And as we realize there are more things in our life than we can really even begin to dig out, we then try to remove the obvious as best we can, and make ourselves look good. We feel guiltier the more we discover how flawed we really are! And then we begin to say, I'm not worried. So-and-so has a lot more seeds than I do. But we all know inside. It really gives me a new look at Isaiah 64:6 when I compare it to the dirty cotton we end up with after doing all we can to remove those cotton seeds. the verse says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Filthy rags!
And then I think of that Cotton Gin that Eli Whitney invented. Like every illustration, this one has its flaws, but I want to look at the definition of invention for a second. The dictionary defines an invention as "A new, useful process, machine, improvement, etc., that did not exist previously and that is recognized as the product of some unique intuition or genius, as distinguished from ordinary mechanical skill or craftsmanship." Can I say that it was unique intuition AND genius on the part of God that the Good News that Jesus Christ died for our sins arrived? Long before the world was even in existence, God knew what he would have to do in order to cleanse mankind of sin. He would have to sacrifice His only begotten Son on the cross of Calvary. There, he would bear the sins of all the world, of every generation, and every full life. And it would be there when Jesus Christ would cry, "IT IS FINISHED!" And just like that cotton flower must go through the cotton gin to be free of all seeds, so every sinner must go through Christ Jesus to be free of every sin. These are just a few thoughts as I think of the white southern fields at this time of year. The laborers are so few. We have but to share the Good News of this grand invention by God to save the world from sin. Indeed, it is THE GREATEST INVENTION! So Fan the Flame Christian! Share the blessed story to those in need of hearing it! And if you're not sure if you're saved; you can know! The Bible says in 1 John 5:13, "These things have I written... that ye may know that ye have eternal life." If you would like to know, Click Here! It will change your life...forever!
When I think of the word "invention," there is one invention that stands out among the rest for me. For some, it may be the automobile, and to others it may be the airplane, or the cell phone, or even the toilet! But to me, the greatest invention ever thought of would be
Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin. You may not appreciate this invention if you've never had to pick cotton by hand. There are 20 to 35 seeds in one cotton flower. And those who had to pick the cotton on a hot and muggy southern day had to not only beware of the sharp thorns that would pierce their fingers, but they would also have to remove the many seeds within. I remember one time attempting to remove the seeds of a cotton flower for the very first time. I remember taking out a boll, and beginning to remove the seeds. I remember feeling around and thinking, This won't be bad, there's only about five seeds. And then I remember thinking, Wow, these seeds are harder to get out than I thought! As I worked on the one seed, I remember doing what I could to remove as much cotton from that seed as I could. It was a task. And then, when I got to my fifth seed, suddenly, I felt the cotton boll, and it seemed like now I was feeling about ten seeds! So I began to work on getting those out, and by the time I was done with those, I remember feeling even more! Suddenly, I developed a great respect for the many before me who picked cotton for a living! As I finished with the last seed, I remember looking at my cotton and thinking, Now it looks yellow and dirty!
It makes me think of our lives. In each life there are some obvious lumps that need to be removed. And as we begin to work on our lives and remove the obvious issues we are confronted with because of our depraved humanity, suddenly we find 10 more issues! And as we realize there are more things in our life than we can really even begin to dig out, we then try to remove the obvious as best we can, and make ourselves look good. We feel guiltier the more we discover how flawed we really are! And then we begin to say, I'm not worried. So-and-so has a lot more seeds than I do. But we all know inside. It really gives me a new look at Isaiah 64:6 when I compare it to the dirty cotton we end up with after doing all we can to remove those cotton seeds. the verse says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Filthy rags!
And then I think of that Cotton Gin that Eli Whitney invented. Like every illustration, this one has its flaws, but I want to look at the definition of invention for a second. The dictionary defines an invention as "A new, useful process, machine, improvement, etc., that did not exist previously and that is recognized as the product of some unique intuition or genius, as distinguished from ordinary mechanical skill or craftsmanship." Can I say that it was unique intuition AND genius on the part of God that the Good News that Jesus Christ died for our sins arrived? Long before the world was even in existence, God knew what he would have to do in order to cleanse mankind of sin. He would have to sacrifice His only begotten Son on the cross of Calvary. There, he would bear the sins of all the world, of every generation, and every full life. And it would be there when Jesus Christ would cry, "IT IS FINISHED!" And just like that cotton flower must go through the cotton gin to be free of all seeds, so every sinner must go through Christ Jesus to be free of every sin. These are just a few thoughts as I think of the white southern fields at this time of year. The laborers are so few. We have but to share the Good News of this grand invention by God to save the world from sin. Indeed, it is THE GREATEST INVENTION! So Fan the Flame Christian! Share the blessed story to those in need of hearing it! And if you're not sure if you're saved; you can know! The Bible says in 1 John 5:13, "These things have I written... that ye may know that ye have eternal life." If you would like to know, Click Here! It will change your life...forever!