Thought for Today
Song of Solomon 2:12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.
Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
1 Peter 1:24 For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,
Do April showers bring May flowers? I truly hope so, because it is raining now and is forecast to rain all day. As winter slowly fades away, I am ready for some flowers to appear in our gardens. I am a bit ambivalent on the equal distribution of rain on the righteous and the unrighteous; but, I am not going to challenge God on how God chooses to distribute God’s rain.
I was surprised on how little is said in the Bible about flowers. Plants and flowers seem to me to be such visible signs of God’s gift of life I expected to see many more references. I only found the word ‘flowers’ 8-17 times in the Bible, in the New Revised Standard Version all were in the Old Testament. The singular ‘flower’ only appears 5-20 times, depending on translation. Yet, flowers are vibrant, colorful examples of God’s benevolence.
I have read about flowering in terms of enhancing the propagation of pollen, ensuring the propagation of various species. As an engineer, I find God’s system design to be especially interesting and attractive. Efficiency combined with esthetic pleasure! Birds and bees are attracted by the bright colors because their instincts tell them that those colorful flowers indicate important sources of nutrients (nectar, fruits or berries). By moving from flower to flower, bees also move the pollen collected on their bodies from the stamens to the pistils of others of the same species. Birds excrete the seeds of fruits and berries which then germinate and produce new plants.
We humans recognize and enjoy flowers for very different reasons. They sometimes do help us recognize and identify various plants. But, we also have a sense of their esthetic beauty. We value flowers for very non-utilitarian reasons. The vast majority of Biblical references are to representations of flowers for decorative purposes, many on the Temple in Jerusalem.
This morning, as I watch the rain fall on our yard and the field behind our home, I am once again struck by the intricate magnificence of God’s Creation. As that rain falls, I see the first daffodils poking up through the soil. In other yards and fields, I see the forsythia sprouting and blossoming. The stalks on our roses are purple from the sap returning to those stalks, foreshadowing the return of rose blossoms. Leaves are beginning to show on our maples, our dogwoods and the other trees in our yard. Spring is about to burst forth.
We just celebrated Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Here in New England, Easter heralds the resurrection of the earth from its winter slumber. Soon, all of the flora and fauna will be in full blossom. Squirrels and rabbits are already challenging our gardens. Birds are returning (note to self: remount the hummingbird feeder).
Greta has already been out in the gardens, cleaning out the dead growth, pruning limbs and raking away the detritus of winter. Soon, when the rains stop, I can be out there with her, tilling, planting and relishing the beauty and magnificence of God’s Creation. It’s hard to sit, watch and wait for the rain to stop!
Qoheleth was right, “Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.” This time and this season are especially delightful.
Stay safe, thank God for the Resurrection and the resurrection, trust God,
Pastor Ray