“I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14The Amplified Bible)
Paying attention to detail, a passerby noticed pictures of four flowers on art canvases. They were orange, eye-catching, and immediately caught the eye of the beholder. Surrounded by other art, these flowers demanded the most attention. They stood out in an awesome way. All four were different on their canvas dwelling place, but they were all the same type of perennials. They all had dark centers, and they moved the passerby to see what kind of flowers these were. His search was quick, aided by the fact that the name of the flower was partially displayed as part of the pieces of art. The four flowers were, grouped together, were poppies, properly named Papaver Orientale.
As I have told you before, if you keep looking at things through a spiritual prism, you will see something that reminds you of either characteristics we should embrace or characteristics we should evade as believers. Let’s put it to a test, make some comparisons. Shall we? The passerby made these notations. First, the beauty of the flowers stood out. Shouldn’t believers stand out as much our everyday living should represent a type of worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness? They poppies stood out to the degree that they drew particular attention, something the life of a believer should do. Why? Because being in Christ, we are distinctively different, in a better sense. Second, the Papaver Orientale flowers were in close proximity, standing out as something wonderful among other pieces of art. Shouldn’t believers be in close proximity, in fellowship with one another, and shouldn’t they all present the fact that they are fearfully and wonderfully made? Yes, all four of the flowers on the canvas were different but make this third observation. They were used for the same purpose, to add a sense of” pop” to the décor. That’s another thing that should be true for believers. We do have the same purpose; to make Christ known and to make Him known better. It might be referred to as “pop,” but perhaps better referred to as the presence of the Lord.
Fourthly, the passerby’s research revealed these flowers had seasons, but they would always come back in the next season. That’s a comeback trait. And that comeback trait, as that seen by the passerby, well, it should characterize believers. Whenever we lose our boldness, our vibrancy, or our witnessing punch, we should have a comeback, every time. Yes, we will have our seasons that bring us down for a bit, but trusting in God who planted us on this earth, we should always have a comeback. Finally, the passerby noted that when the Papaver Orientale fades, it leaves seedpods that keep the particular beauty of the poppy flower having an impactful presence. As believers, we should be leaving behind some “seedpods,” to carry on the witnessing of salvation. That’s a thing of beauty.
You may not be a gardener, but you are God’s child. You may not be a horticulturalist, one who is an expert in garden cultivation and management, but you are a member of a holy nation, and you should be cultivating and managing your faith every single day.
We have learned a lot about the Papaver Orientale and simultaneously we have been shown similarities that should characterize you and me. Let our beauty show on this Friday and in the days we are allowed to see. It’s our time! Be blessed!
“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11a NLT)
Mark L. King