Parasitic Beauty

This is Dodder (Cuscuta spp). It has many other names like strangleweed, devil's-guts, goldthread, pull-down, devil's-ringlet, hellbine, hairweed, and devil's-hair.

Dodder is a parasite of living plants, gaining not just water and minerals (as in some mistletoe) but actual carbohydrates. Each year it produces seeds that fall to the ground and germinate in the soil. The young dodder is a 2-4 inch long threadlike plant which grows to locate its host, then the tiny root system eventually dies once the plant is firmly attached to the host. The stem sends out suckers which gives the plant its nourishment from the host. Sometimes spaghetti-like masses form that totally obscure the host plant. These stems, lacking chlorophyll, are generally yellowish-to-reddish. In late summer and fall the plant produces numerous tiny, white flowers. These flowers produce the 2-celled fruit capsules which burst open to release 1 to 4 seeds, which is the only way the plant reestablishes itself each year. (Description from https://www.main.nc.us/naturenotebook/plants/dodder.html)

Once I read this information I immediately thought of how sin attaches itself to our lives if we let it, then wraps itself around one or more areas of our life, sucking the very life from us, and eventually taking over completely. This plant is the devil in an angel costume. The white flowers are attractive but the vine can form a mass that overwhelms and overtakes the host.

The Bible states, "Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:14-15)

The end result of sin is death. The only "cure" for this deadly blight is found in Jesus. Romans 6:23 reads, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We can't stop the long, threadlike temptations from reaching up out of the mire toward us hoping to find a host, but we can use God's Word like RoundUp™ to stop it in it's tracks or repent and remove it from our lives if/when it does attach. Don't be fooled by sin's beauty. Even this plant is known as Love Vine. But, it is a parasite out to rob, weaken and destroy. Only Jesus Christ can deliver on His promise of life, love, forgiveness, grace and hope.