The Rose And The Lily
“I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys.” Song Of Solomon 2:1 NKJV
My wife and I have found great joy in planting things in our yard. We love watching them grow and spread throughout the property. One of the rewards is being able to share that which has been a special part of your yard with someone else. There have been a lot of housewarmings we have been to where we will take cuttings from what we have grown and loved, and given it to the new homeowners for their property. Our favorite things to transplant are Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley.
Here is what they portray: Sharon is a place of fertile fields and represents abundance and excellence. This is what the Lord always has for us, abundance and only His very best. His very best is more than enough for us to be overcomers and victors in everything we do and face. Here is what we are told about Sharon from Isaiah 35:1-2:
“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God.” NKJV
Jesus is the rose that brings this abundance to the wilderness and wasteland. He transforms and makes things abundant and excellent. Where He is allowed to bloom, there are joy and rejoicing in abundance. There is singing of songs of deliverance.
Then, of course, we have the Lily of the Valley. In the same chapter of our main verse above, there is another reference to the Lilies and Christ. “[She said distinctly] My beloved is mine and I am his! He pastures his flocks among the lilies”. Song Of Solomon 2:16 Amplified Bible
This is a picture of Jesus taking His flock to the peaceful and plenteous pastures. There they have their needs all met and they dwell in safety. He finds the pastures for us that are among the lilies. How beautiful is that? But it is also a picture of ownership. We belong to Him and He cares for us as His very own. We are covered in His love.
Because He loves us and we have given ourselves over to Him entirely, we are in those places of protection and plenty. He takes us there and covers us with His love. Invite us to your house and we will bring you Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley, but it is a mere reminder of His love for you and His abundance in all the areas of need you have.
J Todd Hostetler