This is a subject I 've had on my mind a lot these days. Finally I am getting around to writing about it!
Roses are one of the most adored, if not the most adored flower. They are placed into a beautiful bouquet for the bride to carry as she walks down the aisle on that most special day of her life. They are carefully assembled and placed on top a casket of a loved one who has departed from this life. Valentines Day and Mother's Day are very important days for a rose. We will empty our wallets and pay the premium price to make sure the one we adore receives that dozen of red roses on those holidays.
Much time has been given to ascribe meaning to the color of a rose. Such as...
.a red rose represents romance and love.
A deep pink rose represents "Thank you".
A regular pink rose represents happiness.
A light pink rose represents sympathy.
A white rose represents innocence and purity.. When combined with red roses it represents unity.
A yellow rose represents friendship and caring.
A lavender rose represents "falling in love".
An orange rose represents "desire".
A blue rose symbolizes the rarity of your partner. "You have attained the impossible"
Yet, in the midst of their beauty and their lovely fragrance, they have something other beautiful flowers to not have......thorns! If you've ever met up with one of these nasty thorns, you know how they can prick the finger and draw the blood. Therefore, when we handle roses, we do so with the utmost care, lest we experience the pain that a thorn can cause.
So why does a beautiful flower have such ugly thorns! It just doesn't add up. Well, I have read about those thorns and found out that those thorns are there to protect the rose! The thorns keep animals and insects from eating the blooms and destroying the beauty of the rose! What a brilliant invention! I imagine biting into one of those thorns would do the trick....I don't think I'd be desiring to eat a rose ever again!
One thing is certain, the thorns on roses may deter the insects and the animals but they have never lost their value or admirers. In spite of their thorns, they remain the most desired flower of any girl, they remain an expensive flower and they remain the flower of choice for the many special occasions in our lives.
What do we have in common with the rose? Yep, you guessed it, those nasty thorns! We all have them, they come in many different forms. Some of us have thorns of a chronic health condition that continually drain our energy and our pocketbooks, some of us may have the thorn of having been physically or mentally abused by someone that was supposed to love us. Some of us have thorns of fighting an addiction or a sinful habit that continually tries to erect a wall between us and our Savior. These are just a few samples of thorns, I have in no way come close to giving you a comprehensive list!
Yet, we also have something else in common with a rose. With all the thanks and praise going to Jesus, I want to tell you what else we have in common with roses.
1. Our thorns can protect us- Listen closely......our thorns have a way of keeping us humble. We are so easily prone to pride, an attribute that is not of our Savior, rather, of the one who became so prideful he actually thought he could overthrow God. His pride bought him an eternity in hell. Our thorns have a way of bringing us to our knees in prayer. Our thorns remind us of our helplessness and take us to the One who has promised to meet our every need. The Apostle Paul realized this. Listen to what he writes in
II Corinthians 12:7-9. "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should become exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that is might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
. Our thorns enable us to help others who are going through similar struggles. It can be very comforting to hear those words "I know how you feel, I've been through that exact same thing" Yes, our thorns can be used to protect us from the ugly "insect" of sin, and draw us closer to our Gardener, the Pruner, Jesus Christ.
2. Our thorns do not diminish our value to God- I have yet to hear that the prices of roses are reduced because of their thorns. Nor have I heard someone unwilling to pay the price for roses because of their thorns. The rose is an expensive and treasured flower in spite of the many thorns each stem has. My husband buys me roses quite often. I have yet to think about the thorns. I know they are there and I am careful in my handling of the rose, but I've yet to tell him or even think of telling him to get me a flower that doesn't have the thorns. I am so taken in by their beauty and their fragrance.....
If you see yourself as a rose with a host of thorns, come to the throne of grace. When we submit ourselves, our thorns and all to God, we will feel the hand of God embrace us. Don't worry, He is not harmed by our thorns. He will fully embrace us.
You know, there is one Rose who had no thorns, yet interestingly enough wore a crown made of thorns and felt the piercing pain of those thorns as the roman soldiers pushed that crown on to His head, causing the thorns to dig into His scalp. That rose is the precious Rose of Sharon, our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus understands all about thorns, He wore them for you!
You are very valuable to the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Do you know Him? Please don't turn Him away. Don't let Satan whisper in your ear trying to convince you that you are not precious to God because of your thorns. Don't let another day go by without Him! You can know that you know that you know that you know that you will spend eternity with Him. Click on my page on how to have a personal relationship with God.
If you accept Jesus into your life, please let me know. I would love to rejoice with you and send you (if you would like) a Bible and some helps to assist you in growing in your relationship with your Savior.
To God be the glory!
