Smell the Flowers

Chuckle: At a bus stop, a man asked a lady which bus he should take to his destination. “Bus number 143,” she answered. When she returned to the stop that evening, the man was still waiting. “Didn’t you get on bus 143?” she asked. Nope, not yet, he replied. “So far, 136 buses have come – only seven more before mine arrives.”

Quote: “I saw three properties; the first is, that God made it. The second is, that God loveth it. The third is, that God keepeth it. But what beheld I within? Verily the maker, the keeper, the Lover.” –Julian of Norwich

 

"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard throughout the land" (Song of Solomon 2:11-12 NIV).

The beauty and pageantry of God’s creation never cease to amaze and baffle our finite minds. From majestic mountains to sparkling streams; from rich farmland to baron deserts; from the sun, moon, and stars to the clouds and azure sky, the awesomeness of God’s creation is all around us. This should be a source of joy and awe as we observe the vastness as well as the intricacies and complexities of God’s amazing handiwork.

Jesus tells us that Solomon, in all his royal regalia could not match the beauty of common flowers which are adorned by God Himself. “Consider how the lilies grow. . . even Solomon in all his splendor was not dressed like one of these” (Luke 12:27 NIV). I wonder how often we stop not only to observe and smell the flowers but to take in all that creation tells us about God.

As we enjoy the beauty and fragrance of the flowers, we can’t fully appreciate them until we stop and spend time reflecting on how they came to be. If we believe the Bible to be the true and inspired Word of God, our observations about the wonders of creation should draw us to the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus says in John 1:3: “Through him (Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

So, when we smell the flowers and otherwise observe God’s creation, we should be led directly to Lord Jesus Christ – the One who died on a cruel wooden cross outside Jerusalem to pay the penalty for our sins, provide us the opportunity to be forgiven, and grant us the gift of eternal life in a place the Bible calls heaven. As we “smell the flowers” with creation in mind, we will be drawn closer to our Lord God, the Creator.

“God has not needed me for his mighty works. He did not need me to create the souls of good men or to bring the spring flowers to life again. God can, as a matter of fact, get on perfectly without us, though his home circle would never be complete unless we were in it.” Rev. H.R.L. --Sheppard Sermon 1929

“Thank you, Father, for the gift of flowers, for the fragrance and beauty you have created in each blossom. . . As I smell the flowers now, I feel nearer to You, O God. Thank you. Amen.” –Robert H. Schuller

Love, Jerry & Dotse