The Lord's response to the lily.
"As the lily among thorns."
I. HE DOES SET HIS LILIES AMID SUCH SURROUNDINGS, By the thorns we may understand:
1. The world of the ungodly. "Among them that are set on fire, eve, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword" (Psalms 57:4). "The saint must expect to find himself, while in this world, among uncongenial and hostile spirits."
2. Trials and temptations. (Cf. Paul's "thorn in the flesh.")
3. Hindrances to our growth and peril to our life. "The thorns sprang up and choked them" (Matthew 13:1-58.). 'Tis a wonder, when we think of it, how any of these lilies live at all
4. All others them they who are the Lord's. The speaker in text compares all other daughters with her, and classes them all with the thorns as compared with her. If whatsoever be not of faith be sin, then, whatsoever it be, it comes under this ill-sounding name of "thorns." Such are the surroundings of the saintly soul.
II. NEVERTHELESS, THEY GROW THERE. As a fact, they do and increase. And the reason is that given to Paul when he "besought the Lord thrice" concerning his thorn: "My grace is sufficient for thee:… my strength is made perfect in weakness." There is no other account to be given of the matter. It is all a marvel but for that.
III. AND IT IS IN HIS GRACE AND WISDOM THAT THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE. How many wise and holy ends are secured by it!
1. God's grace is magnified in and by them. It is easy to grow amid favourable surroundings, where much helps and but little hinders. Growth there is not remarkable. To be Christ's servants where such service is general, and even popular, is no hardship. But if amid thorns, amid all that hinders, all that makes it difficult to serve Christ, if there we serve him, then is his grace magnified.
2. The world is kept from being hell. From being all thorns, dry, barren, hurtful, fit only for the fire. What would this world be if God's saints were taken out of it? Life would, indeed, then be not worth living. It would be better had men never been born.
3. The thorns may be led to become lilies. Of course, this is impossible in the natural world, but, thank God, not in the spiritual. And such transformation often occurs, and that it may, God places his lilies where they are. "As the Father hath sent me, so send I you," he said to his disciples. But the Father sent the Son to save the world. This, therefore, in their measure is the mission of his people, and hence they must be where they are.
IV. BUT IT WILL NOT BE SO ALWAYS. The lilies shall be transplanted that they may bloom forever in the Paradise of God. And the thorns!—what is fit for such will be done. Therefore if we be of the blessed number whom the lilies of the valleys represent, let us not murmur, but remember what our mission is, and seek to fulfil it. And let each one of us ask—Which am I, lily or thorn?—S.C.