A Lily Among Thorns
Today’s Verse:
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. ~Song of Solomon 2:2
Botany is the study of flowers and plants. This science is very fascinating. It is amazing how God, through His creation, filled our world with so many wonderful species of flowers. I have known people who owned large commercial nurseries and were experts in flowers and plants. They knew the species by name, the best climate to grow them in, the diseases the flowers were vulnerable to, and in what parts of the world they grew and flourished in. Solomon speaks about a lily among thorns. This description speaks to us about us and Jesus.
We see the bitter.
Thorns are prickly, painful, and unsightly. Thorns are a metaphor for difficulties and trials. When Adam sinned, God cursed the ground and said, “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.” The Bible speaks about our enemies being a thorn in our side. “The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns.” The cares of this world are described as thorns that choke off the Word of God in one’s life. Paul described his health trial as a thorn in the flesh. A crown of thorns was thrust on the head of our Lord Jesus. Thorns are grievous, painful, and unlovely. They are a picture of the bitterness in life.
We see the beautiful.
“As the lily among thorns....” A lily among thorns is an uncommon sight. It catches our attention that something so beautiful can be found growing among thorns. That’s what Jesus is to us as we endure the bitterness, grief, and hardships of life. A lily is beautiful, colorful, and resplendent. Lilies brighten a room with their fragrance, color, and presence. When we look to Jesus during the storms and trials of life, it is the lily and not the thorns that we see. Instead of focusing on the ugliness of the thorns that hurt us, we are relieved to smell the lily and rejoice in its magnificence. Don’t let the thorns in your life steal your joy: see the lily that thrives in its midst. The suffering of Jesus was the joy that was set before Him.
We see the Beloved.
“...So is my love among the daughters.” There’s no one and nothing that compares to the fairness of Jesus. There’s no one who compares to the faithfulness of Jesus. There’s no one who compares to the fellowship of Jesus. Jesus prevails above the thorns in life. Jesus gives us peace in the midst of our thorns. Jesus gives us insulation in the midst of the thorns. It’s amazing that in this verse, it is the lily that catches our attention more than the thorns. In all of our trials, it is Jesus Who must stand out, and not the thorns. As a lily among thorns, we are encouraged and emboldened that Jesus is greater than every thorn. He is our Beloved, the One Who loves and encourages our hearts.
We see the best.
The lily among the thorns teaches us that God always gives His best, even when things around us look unsightly, ugly, and hopeless. He gives us the best in His power, His presence, His peace, and His pleasure. Don’t let thorns choke off your life: let the Lord arise in the midst of your situation and be blessed.
Have a blessed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: John 9-10