"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters."Son 2:1-2 KJV
O Lord, You said " I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys". The sweet smell of the rose flower blossoming out of the nights, the brightness of its colour out of the gloom brings joy and refreshing to the heart of men. You bring love and refreshing unto my heart. I long for You to be the rose, not just of Sharon, but of my own heart; the highlight of all my personality. I want to join the hymn writer to say:
I want You more than gold or silver, only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver; and the apple of my eye.
Rose is the fairest of all flowers in any cluster. It breaks forth and spreads out in folds and succulent overlaps. It comes forth usually from a thorny plant. Lord Jesus, You are the fairest to my soul. Your outbreak of loving grace upon me is beyond all explanation. None of your mercy ever finishes before another overlaps it in my life. Out of thorny situations, You have demonstrated Your loving care for me. Thank You for being the rose of my own life. Others may seek other highlights for their existence in academic attainments, others even in ministry, yet others in money, but You will ever remain the rose, the bright side of my life. O Lord, You will only be the outlook I want the world to see and ever remember of me. Grant this that You may ever be the fresh rose of my life in all I will ever do or be in this age in Jesus name.
You are also a lily of the valleys. I do not always love to walk in the valleys. There is the dampness and depression. Yet in the valleys of life, there can be a beautiful lily. It comes with its golden colour. Sometime afar off, it comes sharply with its bright yellow. It over lays the damp with a sweetness. Lord, in the valley, You are my lily. Fresh and refreshing. Encouraging and empowering. Something peculiar about the lily is its tenderness in a place where you only expect the mud.
O Lord, help me to know You even in the valleys of my pilgrimage. Mountains are great and I long to always be on the mount in my vision. But there is no mountain that does not arise from a valley or the one that does not yield unto a valley before another mountain rises. In between two cliffs, there is always a deep gulley. I cannot climb from mountain to mountain without a descent through the valleys. If this be the only way to climb very high up in God's purpose, then I need as a necessity the lily of the valleys to keep me fresh at the lowest ebbs. O Lord, help me to cherish Your hand on my life even when I am passing through the valleys in Jesus name.
Yet much as I would want to dwell on the graces and glories of my Lord and Christ, it amazes me how You look at me and Your Church particularly. It is soothing to know that You look at me in a different light apart from what the world thinks of me and of your Church. Your vision of me is even different from the low esteem I have of myself. Thank You for showing me today again how You see me in Your mercy and in your love. You are not just the lily of the valley, you are making me a lily like you, though presently located among thorns…
" As the lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters." Son 2:2
Thank You, dear Lord, for this. You know where I dwell. You have been here before, so you are familiar with the feelings of my infirmities. Yes, the lily is a tender plant but here trapped and entangled among thorns. I dwell among wild and offensive thorns. It is such a contradiction to walk among thorns. The daughters of this world among whom the Church must grow her tender beauty are wild thorns. Piercing and tearing apart. Merciless and vulgar. The daughters of this world are loud and imposing. Yet, it is in their midst Your bride must grow your own very nature- the lily of the valleys. Lord, this is touching. In the midst of thorns and thistles, I must grow to become like Thee in character and in tender love. What a picture!
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!"Mat 10:16-25 NKJV
The conflict is real. My joy this day is that You know where I dwell. You have been here before. You have gone through these same hostilities before. You did not desire to take me out of this till Your character has been grown fully in me. Thorns indeed. Thorns in the flesh and thorns in the eyes. You left the children of Israel in the midst of these thorns so they will always remember to walk in your ways. If I will walk with You, though in the midst of thorns, none will harm me. If I will deviate from the narrow path, they line up my path to immediately pierce my feet, so I may know that I am missing my path unto righteousness. Thank You, dear Lord, for these thorns all around me. It is such that in their midst, I may break forth as the rose and the lily you are producing in me as well. Whereas the daughters of this world have their own way of attraction, they are real thorns in life. They are deceptive. I must live in direct contrast to them. I must be the lily- the fresh and beautiful. The one that is ever tender and soothing. O Lord, grant me this understanding in all my pilgrimage down here in Jesus name.
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