"Consider The Lilies."

by J. BROWN, Christchurch, New Zealand | Category: General | Nov 1944

I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" (Luke. 12.27). The Lord. has spoken. The glory of Israel's king fades before the glory which the Lord sees in that lovely flower to which He. has given life. He saw what they did not see, and only He could draw such a comparison. Those little flowers to which He drew attention, a few among the many growing around, were clothed in a glory to which Solomon had never attained. It would, no doubt, be hard for them to believe this wondrous truth. A king with a kingdom of vast wealth and greatness, with everything that the eye and heart of man could wish, was not arrayed in a glory equal to that of the lily! The glory of Solomon was made possible. by David's victories over his enemies. It was in one sense the ultimate result of great deeds, and of much anxious thought and, toil. Now they are told that one of these lowly, and to them, common flowers, surpassed the glory of king Solomon. I rather think that they would not like to hear this. The glory of Solomon was in their eyes a most wonderful thing, but it will be surpassed when Israel "shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon" (Hosea 14.5). The Lord, and He only, can reveal to us the true value and beauty of things.

It is not what we or others think, but what the Lord has said and thinks, that must be the guide and rule of life if we would please Him. How great. is' the distance which separates man's thoughts from His thoughts, and man's ways from His ways ! See Isaiah 55.8,9. We look for a moment at the great blaze of worldly splendour to be seen in Babylon otherwise Christendom, to-day. So dazzling and alluring is the sight that at the first brief glance we are apt to overlook the corruptions that the glare of earthly glory hides.

In Revelation 17. and 18 we read of Babylons golden cup, and the doom which awaits this impious system at the hand of God . We turn away from that which is highly esteemed among men to look at God's assemblies that, fitly framed together, grow into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2. 21). The words, "'in the Lord" indicate the need there is for obedience by His disciples to the doctrine of the Lord, so that the temple of the Lord may be a present reality. Here there is nothing which answers to the "gilded system" of Babylon with its splendour and pomp, so much loved by man, and whose glare blinds the eye and heart of so many of God's children that they seem to see no beauty, nothing to be desired in God's holy temple. What has the Lord to say about these assemblies? How does He regard them? Can we not hear the still small voice of the Lord saying, "I say unto you, that Babylon in all her glory is not arrayed like oar of these.", An assembly of God, built by men according to the divine pattern, through their obedience to the Word of God, the Word working effectually in them as believers, is a divine creation. It is of God, but all that is of Babylon is not. We repeat that He al6ne can reveal to us the true value and beauty of things as seen by Him. The old question " What is truth?" asked by Pilate, but he did not wait for the Lord's answer (perhaps he did not wish to hear the answer), is a question of the greatest importance in all matters (John 17. 17). Though often far removed from man's conception of what is truth, yet His answer, "Thy word is truth," confounds every thought, and must be accepted by us in simple child-like faith.

Who but the Lord could tell us that the widow's two mites, her farthing which she cast into the treasury, was more than the much that the many who were rich had cast in out of their abundance. The words of the Lord are, "I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all." That tiny offering, so small in her own eyes, so insignificant and of little value in the eyes of man, was, as He saw it, both large and costly. She had given her all! The lilies of which we started to write give us an ideal picture of absolute dependence upon the Creator for their growth and glory, and we do well to "consider... how they grow"; they are ever in a condition to take what He sends. Men who have a much higher form of life murmur at the little or much rain or sunshine which comes. We are cross and irritable when things are not going "just our way." Men are prone to ask why these days are not as the former, and thus come under the censure of Ecclesiastes 7.10. The lilies are content to abide where they have been planted. The Lord's recognition of their glory gives them a prominence among other flowers, but it provokes in them no pride. What a lovely sight it must be to see them growing quietly together! Their one ambition is to grow, for no growth means no bloom, no glory. King Solomon loved his lilies and was often found among them, and there were days when he gathered some and gave them a place near him in his palace (Song of Songs 6.2). The Greater than Solomon also has His lilies if we can liken His disciples to these, and oh, how He loves them!

It gives Him joy, and He can see glory in us when in lowly dependence upon Him, we are found growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Though we may not always be conscious of it, our dependence upon Him for things spiritual and temporal is as absolute as that of the flowers of the field for their life and growth. He has given us all

things which pertain unto life and godliness and the fault is ours if we fail to grow up strong, vigorous plants in the house of God.

The words, " with Christ," or " at Home," remind us that He has days in which He gathers some of "His Lilies" to take home to be with Him. The world no doubt looked upon them as being peculiar with "queer ideas," but to the Lord in life and in death, they were and are precious in His sight. For them, to be with Christ, is very far better, but we who remain miss the kind word, the godly counsel, the cheerful smile, yet we mourn not as the rest who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4.18). Meanwhile we await His coming and that eternal reunion with loved ones who have gone before

"God knows the way, He holds the key

He guides us with unerring hand

Sometime with tearless eyes we'll see

Yes there up there we'll understand

J. BROWN, Christchurch, New Zealand | Nov 1944
General