Spring Flower Bulbs
Right down the middle of the four-lane road was a raised grassed divider strip, with lovely shady trees planted and spaced nicely down its very center, making a scenic avenue and divider between the traffic passing either way, a little strip of nature in the city, all nicely grassed and kept mowed by the contractors, a scene of tranquility and delight. But as spring drew closer something was happening, there in an exact line, or in rows spaced between all the line of trees, something was afoot, up from out of the hard cold earth a sweet spire grew, and then more, and then lots more, until down the middle of the grassed road divider was a sea of deep green swaying stem like leaves, a mass of growth, and then a new spire arose from this mass of leaves, and then a bright yellow trumpet started to open, and then more and still more, until there was a sea of vivid green swaying with vibrant yellow flowers all dancing and swaying in the breeze, Daffodils, brightening all nature after the drab, damp and cold of winter, swaying in the early spring breezes, announcing that Spring is in the air, trees and shrubs will all soon follow and burst out into a sea of blossom and bloom as well, as all nature throws itself into a vast and diverse dizzying array of colour’s, blossoms, and perfumes, as the drabness of winter bursts into life, giving all nature a wild splash of colour, hues and diversity, all up from the hard cold dead ground from winter.
Hebrews 12:4 “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Isaiah 53:2 “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty that we should desire him.” Job 14:8 -9 “Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; [Yet] through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.” What are you pressing forwards and upwards towards, what is your goal and calling, what are the obstacles that attempt to press you down and attempt to stop your growth and development? Our flower bulbs could refuse to fight on upwards through the cold hard earth packed in layers on top of them, attempting to hinder their growth and development, from perpetually hindering their growing upwards, shoving and pressing down upon them, layers of cold hard earth stacked on top of them, attempting to stop that upwards growth and development towards the warmth and light of the sun above, they could just curl up deep down saying that it was just too hard, go back to sleep and perish? Those that fight onwards and upwards, pressing against everything in their way, get to see the sunlight, get to grow strong, to bloom and to excel, and all the time, being a blessing and joy to so many others who pass by.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Isaiah depicts Jesus’ growth and development which is sort of like our Daffodil, Isaiah 53:2 “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty that we should desire him.” There was firstly nothing, then a spire just poking through the ground, then more, and then finally the obvious crown of bright yellow flowers, that which had no form, no obvious purpose, but then up from nothing, we got a bunch of vivid green stalk like leaves, becoming a bushy vibrant sea of flowers brightening the area around them. We too may not have any form or comeliness, just boring nothing much, but with the touch of Heaven, we too can burst forth in the beauty that is obviously heavenly, showing forth the love of God as found in Jesus Christ our Saviour, blossoming, blooming and spreading delight and cheer to all who view us.
Who or what is trying to press you down, discourage and to mock you, just derogatory about your spiritual growth? Philippians 3:13-15 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”Let us press forwards, grow upwards in all things, grow in Grace, no matter what is stacked up high upon us, just keep growing, just keep reaching, you will as a faithful ‘Flower Bulb’ breaking through, all will be behind, grow, abound, blossom and flourish in God. 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and forever. Amen.”
