Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Cheryl Boardman
Monday, April 3, 2023
I saw these lilacs in Coupeville, Whidbey Island, a few years ago. They were not quite in full bloom but were very beautiful. There’s nothing like cut lilacs in a vase filling a room with fragrance!
In the book of Job, we are reminded what happens once flowers are picked – especially if they aren’t put into water right away. It compares that to what happens to people who forget God:
“Put the question to our ancestors,
study what they learned from their ancestors.
For we’re newcomers at this, with a lot to learn,
and not too long to learn it.
So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what’s what,
instruct you in what they knew from experience?
Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil?
Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water?
Blossoming flowers look beautiful before they’re cut or picked,
but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass.
That’s what happens to all who forget God—
all their hopes come to nothing.
They hang their life from one thin thread,
they hitch their fate to a spider web.
One jiggle and the thread breaks,
one jab and the web collapses . . .”
Job 8:8-15 (The Message)