Friday, May 28, 2010

Rose and Lily

The Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valleys, named to remind us of the beauty and sweetness we find in His relationship with Jesus. The rose, fragrance sweeter than honey, chief of flowers. The lily, preferred by our Christ as clothing even above that of Solomon in all his glory.

Sharon is probably where the best roses grew and in most plenty; some have termed it the "rose of the field" depicting the gospel of salvation for all. A common salvation, that whosoever will may come and gather the rose-buds of privileges, comforts, sweetness, fragrance, that grow in the covenant of grace.

"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys." (Song of Solomon 2:1)

He is not a show rose, not one to be locked up in a garden, but one in whom all may come and find comfort.

He is a lily for the whiteness, and a lily of the valleys for sweetness. For when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, His fragrance will linger and lead us to His protection, comfort and strength.

He is the lily of the valleys, or low places, in His humiliation and "crushing" experienced on the cross of Calvary.

As you walk through your valleys (notice the plural—we're promised there will be more than one), take heed of His fragrance. It will be there.

As you hit the low points in your life, remember that He is a rose that has been bruised and crushed and His fragrance is become sweeter and stronger. Look for Him there also.

In the darkest of days and the longest of nights, you will find Him with you there as well.

The fragrance of His love will lead you through and remind you that He is in your midst regardless where you are.

He loves you, He yearns for you, He's bidding you to come into His chamber where He can lavish His love upon you ... from now throughout eternity.

Precious Lord, I am overwhelmed at the thought of your awesome love toward me. I can almost hear You say, "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away" (Song of Solomon 2:10). Lord, I will follow you wherever You lead. I will respond to Your passion for me with an ever-growing passion for You. Lord, I love you and I will stop and seek out Your sweet fragrance in the flourishing fields as well as in the dark valleys. And in whatever circumstance or situation I find myself, I will know beyond a shadow of doubt that You, my precious Lord, have not left me. Rather, You are with me alway, even unto the end of the world (ref. Matthew 28:20). Amen!

"I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon." (Hosea 14:5-6)

© Jan Ross
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A Stench or a Fragrance?

In the days when Paul wrote much of the New Testament, and certainly in the ancient history of man, it was a very common occurrence especially among Roman rulers, that when they had taken their army and had overcome the enemy, they would come back to their own village or community in a parade…a processional of sorts. The watchman on the wall could see them coming for miles. The commander in chief would be on a horse, a white horse specifically, and leading his army. Behind him would follow the captives from the conquered city. His soldiers would gather beside them to keep them in line and several of them would roll huge vessels of incense that would continue to burn as the parade would march through town.

Finally on the other side of town they would put the captives in a prison or jail to keep them there and the soldiers would perhaps go home to their families to celebrate the victory. The parade was over. But, there was still a lingering scent in the air of the incense that had come through town along with the victory procession.

The vessels of incense were included in the march so there would be a reminder that there had been victory. The scent of victory lingered in the air; it was a very thick aromatic and sweet smell. All day long through the street remained the reminder that there had been a victory.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)

Paul bases this scripture on his military experience which included the lingering fragrance of incense.

We are to be the aroma of Christ, that's why we're here. However, this begs a question: Is your life evidence of His victory?

As the "fragrance" (lingering evidence) of Christ's victory, we are called to spread the reminder of the Conquering King wherever we go. Paul reminds us that the Lord always leads us into triumphal procession, but do we always follow where He leads? We are guaranteed victory if we follow Him since He always leads us in that victory march. There is no other path that guarantees victory!

Regardless of what you are facing in your life, there is victory for you. It has been set aside for you. You do not have inevitable defeat in front of you. Defeat is not of God! He is incapable of leading you to defeat. Christ only marches in victor; He is the Sovereign Victorious One. It is our responsibility to find where He's marching and get in line with Him as our Commander in Chief.

Be the evidence that He has overcome the world and allow the lingering aroma of His victory to remain everywhere you go.

Dear Father, may Your victory be witnessed in my life bringing glory to You, always! In Jesus' name I pray, amen and amen!

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57)

© Jan Ross
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Boundless Mercy

Mercy. Unmerited favor. Unearned forgiveness. Undeserved love.

Where else could we go to receive such a priceless gift but to the Father who has pledged His unchanging love toward those created in His image?

All of us deserve the lowest hell. There is not one of us who would be able to escape eternal damnation without the mercy of our Lord applied to our lives.

"I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell." (Psalm 86:12-13)

Consider the depths of hell you deserved as compared with "[He] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6)

Our response to the mercy of God comes in many forms: praise, worship, obedience, sacrifice, humility, all of which glorify Him, edify Him and exalt Him.

Take some time today to reflect on the awesome benefits of His mercy toward you.

"For great is thy mercy toward me..."

Father, I am so undeserving of Your mercy toward me. I realize more today than ever before that all that I am and ever hope to be is a result of Your boundless love and mercy toward me—so undeserved, so mercifully extended toward me. Thank You for loving me enough to make a way for me to escape the depths of hell I deserve. Your mercy absolutely amazes me. Mercy. Unmerited favor. Unearned forgiveness. Undeserved love.

I stand in awe when I think of Your gift so freely given for such a one as I. Amen!

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." (1 Chronicles 16:34)

© Jan Ross
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Monday, May 10, 2010

Sweeter Communion

Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, knows us better than we know ourselves, inside and out. He knows our hearts, our motives, our strengths, and our weaknesses. As sheep in His fold we, too, must know Him "inside and out" through daily relationship with Him.

We can't possibly know someone we don't spend time with. It is much like a courtship, we've met and He has made his intentions known toward us. Now, it's up to us to get to know Him as He knows us intimately, just as He knows the Father, as if we were one with Him just as He is with the Father.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father . . . " (John 10:14-15)

Although many of us set aside time on a regular basis to read His Word and/or to pray, we very often fail in our endeavors to really know Him. The more time we spend with Him and include Him in all our daily activities, the more we will know Him. We are in a marriage relationship with our Lord; those whose marriages are marked by deep and abiding love are known to have worked on truly knowing one another, trusting one another, serving one another, and looking for every opportunity to spend time together.

Since He reveals Himself to us through His Word, search the pages of Your Bible and learn His love for you…learn His personality. Your relationship with Him will grow to be better day by day, each day better than the day before, filled with expectation and anticipation for sweeter communion.

Don't allow yourself to believe the lie of the enemy. You are NOT alone, you have the Good Shepherd leading you, looking after you, walking life's journey with you as His rod and staff bring you comfort.

Shepherd of my soul, a place of intimacy and sweet communion with You is my fiercest desire! As the days go by, things of this world are beginning to fade into the background and the need for a greater relationship with You has become my passion! My soul longs to know You as You know me, to hear Your voice above all others, and to walk in the path You have set before me. Lead me, O Shepherd, protect me, guide me, and feed me through Your Word as I hide it in my heart in daily communion with You, amen.

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalm 23)

© Jan Ross
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Friday, May 7, 2010

Are You Full of Sap?

The trees of the Lord, the cedars of Lebanon, are the loftiest and most magnificent of trees on the face of the earth. The trees being so lofty and large, it seems as if one none of them could be planted except by the Lord God Almighty Himself.

"The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted" (Psalm 104:16).

The trees of the Lord are full of sap, saturated and abundantly supplied with that which is necessary to their growth. There is no want, no lack, of that which is needful to them.

The "trees of the Lord" would remind us of the "trees of righteousness" which are the planting of the Lord, planted in his vineyard. They are full of sap, for that which God plants He will water, and those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God (see Psalm 92:13).

We have to ask ourselves a question: "Are we full of sap?" Psalm 104:16 indicates that we have been given ample supply to cause us to grow into high and lofty trees, a glory to the earth in which they are planted! Are we growing? Are our roots digging down deeper and deeper as time goes on? Are we bearing fruit?

It is a sad thing to meet people who are not doing anything with what God has invested in them. Matthew 21:19 talks of a certain fig tree which was bearing no fruit; Jesus cursed the tree and it withered away. To be a lavish, fruit-bearing tree is important to God…like a return on His priceless investment.

We have been blessed with an abundance of life-giving, life-sustaining, life-changing "sap". Be careful to grow your roots deep into His Word and love for you so you will be like the trees of the Lord and full of sap.

Father, help me to be like the Cedars of Lebanon, firm, sound, unmovable, unchangeable, having roots that run deep, having an abundance of sap and bearing much fruit. Father, I want to be full of sap; help me to use what You have invested in me, bearing much fruit, for Your glory. Amen!

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalm 1:3)

© Jan Ross
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Thursday, May 6, 2010

Where Do You Live?

Marriage between a man and woman has two faces: one that is seen in public and one that is experienced only in private between the husband and wife. A married couple holding hands, walking arm-in-arm, exchanging winks or touches ... these are "public" faces of a marriage relationship. All these are good and necessary but really not intimate by definition.

True intimacy is that which takes place in secret … a total giving of oneself to another without shame, without reserve, and without pretense. Yet, the fruit of intimate relationship can be seen without any public testimony.

There is a greater intimacy available to each one of us, according to Psalm 91:1. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

What does it mean to "dwell in the secret place of the Most High?"

Have you found that place of true intimacy with the Lord? Do you love being alone with Him, conversing with Him, sharing with Him, learning from Him? Have you learned to set aside some quiet, alone time to be in His presence where an intimate relationship can develop and grow?

Don't take your time with Him lightly, but nurture it and allow it to grow deeper and deeper day after day. For, if we DWELL in that "secret place" of the Most High, we will ABIDE under the shadow of His wing, and no safer place can be found in all of creation.

Allow the evidence of intimate relationship with the Father to be your testimony day in and day out.

Live in His awesome presence.

Father, although our relationship has grown and blossomed since I first met You, I long for a deeper, more intimate relationship with You. I long to dwell in that "secret place" where I find safety under the shadow of Your wing. Lord, help me love You more, know You more, serve You more. Lord, help me surrender to You more and more each day so our relationship can be seen and perceived by all who meet me without ever having to say a word. Father, be glorified in our relationship today and every day, amen.

"Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast." (Psalm 57:1)

© Jan Ross
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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A Song in My Heart

Not much will put a song in your heart and a spring in your step like praising the Lord all the day long.

"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 89:1)

A song stirring in your heart can dictate the mood of your day when it's a song of praise that's welling up within you. You can be working in the worst of circumstances, but no one can take that song out of your heart. You can be facing the worst circumstances in life, but when there's a song of praise in your heart, you can face anything.

Nehemiah said, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Thankfully, praise connects us with the kind of joy that can only come from the Lord—the joy which continually gives us the strength we need to face our problems regardless how insurmountable they seem.

What better way to praise the Lord than to sing of His mercies. After all, it is His mercy that bought our deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. It is His mercy that gives us hope.

And, finally, what better way to give hope to our children and our children's children than to teach them to sing of the mercies of the Lord, and to make known to them His faithfulness to ALL generations.

Father, my mind is bombarded with thoughts that would consume me and silence the song of praise in my heart. Help me to recognize those attacks quickly and to take hold of the reins of my mind and cast down all distractions that prevent me from singing of your mercies continually. Father, teach me to keep that fire burning, the fire that consumes all the wood, hay and stubble but that purifies all that is precious to You. Let a new song spring forth from my heart declaring your mercies and proclaiming your goodness to all generations. I love You, Lord, and I give you all my praise, amen.

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (Hebrews 13:15-16)

© Jan Ross
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Reflections of Holiness

More than just a few times the Word of God teaches that we are to live holy lives, separating ourselves from our former self-serving lives of sin. For instance, consider the Word of the Lord:

  • Leviticus 11:44 says, "For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy".
  • Lev 19:2 says "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy."
  • Lev 20:7 says "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God."
  • Matt 5:48 says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

The question is what is holiness? It appears that holiness is living a life set apart from the world's influence and separated from sin while being yoked together with Christ. In essence, holiness is righteousness in action.

Holiness is not based on outward appearance, although your outward appearance will most definitely reflect the Righteous One living within.

Holiness is not a rigid set of do's and don'ts, although one walking in holiness will refrain from all appearance of evil and do all as unto the Lord.

Living a life of holiness is the duty and should be the desire of every Christian. We should strive to be holy in all manner of conversation, in every area of our lives, toward all people, in business affairs, and in all circumstances, when we're prosperous or otherwise.

"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16)

We are to imitate God and God is holy. He is perfectly, unchangeably, and eternally holy; and we should desire to be like Him.

The Word of God will lead us and guide us on our path toward holiness. The Word of God is alive and is able to cut away from us all that which is unpleasing in the sight of the Lord. Read it and accept its convicting power; follow it and give God the glory due His name by living a life holy unto the Lord.

Father, my desire to live a life holy and acceptable to You grows day by day. The words of a simple chorus we sing at church come to mind:

"Take my heart and form it.
Take my mind and transform it;
take my will and conform it to You.
Holiness is what I long for;
Holiness is what I need.
Holiness is what You want from me."

Help me be pleasing unto You. Lord; help me to be holy even as You are holy…amen.

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)

© Jan Ross
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