“As a lily among thorns,
So is my love among the daughters.”
— Song of Songs 2:2
A Hymn —
“Lord Jesus! When We Think of Thee”
Lord Jesus! when we think of Thee,
Of all Thy love and grace,
Our spirits long and fain would see
Thy beauty face to face.
And though the wilderness we tread,
A barren, thirsty ground,
With thorns and briers overspread,
Where foes and snares abound;
Yet in Thy love such depths we see,
Our hearts o’erflow with praise—
Content ourselves, while, Lord to Thee
A joyful song we raise.
Our Lord, our Life, our Rest, our Shield,
Our Rock, our Food, our Light;
Each thought of Thee doth constant yield
Unchanging, fresh delight.
Blest Savior, keep our spirit stayed,
Hard following after Thee,
Till we, in victory displayed,
Thy face in glory see.
— James G. Deck
When you are only for the Lord, for the church, and for living the divine life, you find that things are not so simple or easy. You find that your way is not turning out to be as wide and smooth as you thought. Instead, you realize that your way is like a “wilderness…a barren, thirsty ground, with thorns and briers overspread,” as in verse two of the hymn above.
Many things stab at you and seek your hurt, and many things give rise to tears and cause you to feel you cannot walk any further. However, you don’t have to be afraid; these environments will cause your growth.
The Lord watches over the lilies and protects them. If you really give yourself to the Lord and truly love Him, then although thorns will continue to present themselves, they will help you to grow in life.
Adapted from The Journey of Life, page 168.
Tomorrow: “As the Apple Tree….”(1)