Song of Solomon 2:1 “I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.”
There is a young woman named Lily—you probably don’t know her, she isn’t someone who commands a lot of attention. She grew up very poor and at times very hopeless and yet she is making a difference in her world for Christ. If you see people being blessed in her hometown of Jinja, Uganda, you will probably see her in the background with a big smile and giving something away.
Lily loves to give. She will give everything she has if you give her the chance, you see, she grew up in a broken family but it did not break her. She has turned her pain into hope, a hope where her heart now desires to help others. The love of Christ has flooded her life, her trust in God is undaunted and she has witnessed miracles that have impacted her forever.
There is another Lily I want to tell you about, that grows in those valleys of despair….the Lily of the Valley. It brings beauty in our low places, it springs forth unexpectedly when it seems the darkness is going to overtake us, and it brings the fragrance of God’s love wherever it dwells.
Isaiah 35:1 “Let the desert and dry region be happy; let the wilderness rejoice and bloom like a lily!”
Regardless of how difficult our past might be, how troublesome our lives might be now, or how barren our hopes have become, we can always look for Jesus to bring beauty out of the dust.
Jesus is the Lily of the Valley. In the midst of a dry and barren desert, there He is, unexpectedly filling our gloom with hope. Life can appear like a wilderness, and unexpected difficulties can lead to despair. God uses the time we spend in trial to bring strength, instill trust, and to show us our weaknesses.
The wilderness is a time of testing–not abandonment.
We may feel like we’ve been abandoned, when all that we’ve placed our trust in has been eroded away, when the enemy comes in and brings doubt or our future seems bleak—all that remains for those who have placed their trust in God is the beauty of His strength.
The Word of the Lord given to Isaiah was a proclamation that was yet to be spoken. When Jesus entered the synagogue and read the first two verses, He declared His ministry to the world.
Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,”
The ministry of the Messiah was restoration and healing.
When we consider the difficulty of life, let us not forget who reigns over us.
What experiences has the Lord brought you through that have shaped you into who you are today? Jesus ultimately fulfilled the prophecy regarding the Messiah. This same ministry of healing and restoration is the one He calls us to today.
Are you being true to your calling?
Jesus fulfilled the greatest call in history.
The Lily of the valley was wounded for your transgressions, He was bruised for your iniquity. The beauty and glory of Jesus represents the image of God. The world stomps all over His love without a care, without knowing the dire consequences of their actions….and yet the Lord continues to guide, strengthen, and rebuild those who seek Him.
Isaiah 61:4-7 “And they shall rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
But you shall be named the priests of the Lord,
They shall call you the servants of our God.
You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.”
The Lily represents all of the tenderness and beauty that arises out of seeming desolation. Sin causes so much havoc, whether it is from someone else’s sin or our own, the destruction left in its path has been witnessed in every land.
All the world has to give is desolation. Whatever ways you have been affected by this cold and calloused world, you can trust a Lily will grow in your valley.
Do you see it? —You have to look. In the midst of the thorns and briars you’ll find it; there it grows and when you draw near, the cares of this world fade away.
We can focus on the devastation or we can focus on Jesus.
Isaiah 61:11 “For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”
We are not meant to stay in the wilderness, the times of trial are only brief encounters that we grow through in life. When the Lord brings us through, we witness the meadow’s of His love, the richness of His blessing, and righteousness springs forth in those who trusted in Him.
Know that there are seasons in life, whether full of trouble or difficulty but they all come to an end—when that end comes you’ll see the fruit God has produced in you.
Until then…delight in His beauty.
U.T. 