A Lily Among Thorns

"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.  As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters."  Song of Solomon 2:1-2.  The beautiful lily thrives even among the thorns.  Our great God allows us to thrive even among the thorns.  In this life, our jouney often encounters thorns.  We need to know that when we are pricked by the thorns of life, we have a God and a Savior who cares about us and gives help and strength.  Life is often ugly. We must always see the beauty of the lily.  We must not concentrate on the thorns, but rather, our delight must be in the lily.  While we suffer disappointment, we must see joy.  While we suffer defeat, we must know victory.  A beautiful rose grows and thrives on a thorn bush.  So, our lives thrive amidst the thorns.  God's love and care never leaves us alone, nor forsaken.  His love embraces and secures us.  The love of God and the Lord Jesus Christ causes us to know goodness, hope, and joy.  We have access to him, and can know him as our loving God.  He showers our life with sweetness and an enduring fragrance.  Even we ourselves are as lilies in a world that is torn and distressed.  The love of God which has been shed abroad in our hearts shows forth this love to all of those who are about us.  Let us know the lily that we might be as the lily.

Must The Church Assemble?

"And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."  Acts 20:7. In the seventeenth verse of Acts 20, Paul calls for the elders of the church located in Miletus.  These appointed men are to oversee the flock and to feed the church.  Acts 20:28.  Hence, the disciples are the church.  The church of Jesus Christ is the community of the saved who have submitted themselves to the authority of Jesus Christ.  As the church of Christ, we are to assemble together for the purpose of worshipping together but also that each one might encourage the other.  This is the reason for meeting in a building of some type.  Our present danger is preventing us from meeting in a building but we engage in worship by social media streaming of live services or even drive thru chuches.  While these means are not the normally accepted ways by which we worshiip, we can be acceptive of these means for a time until this crisis ends.  We can still offer help to each other with phone calls and cards.  We can discuss the worship in which we engaged by discussion of the lessons that were taught and what lessons we gained from the lesson or sermon.  This is a time that should bring us closer togeher with one another as we check up on one another.  This is truly the life of the disciple anyway. We assemble to worhip our Great God so that we might be inspired to serve His children.