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

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.

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.

Dearest 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! May my heart melt at Your call. May my love for You draw me closer to You than ever before. 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)

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"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." (Psalm 23:4)

Fear, the enemy of our faith, is knocking on the door of our hearts in its attempt to kill, steal, and destroy our confidence in God's protection.

Recently, I've had an opportunity to learn first-hand the difference between fear and faith. They are direct opposites; one cannot live in fear and in faith at the same time, just as it cannot be night and day at the same time. You either live and move and have your being in fear or in faith.

Fear erodes the foundation of faith, quickly and thoroughly if not soon recognized and dealt with. During these uncertain times, it would be so easy for us to fall prey to fear, causing our focus to turn from God to the uncertainty of the future. But, our future IS certain, whether in the flesh or in the spirit. We should know in whom we have believed and be persuaded that He is able to keep us, in peace and in war, in sickness and in health, in plenty or in want. God is fully able.

It's easy to understand why the prophet Isaiah wrote as led by the Spirit of God in Isaiah 41:10-13, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."

Dear friends, don't allow the enemy to cause your heart to be filled with fear. Let peace reign on the throne of your heart . . . the peace that passes all understanding, the peace that will testify of God's great goodness and tender mercy even our times of uncertainty. We are the bearers of peace. The Peacemaker has made His abode in us. Allow the peace that is found in the presence of the King to comfort you today and every day.

Father, many around me fear what tomorrow may bring. Help me, Lord, to remain firm in faith, believing and knowing that You are indeed my Help, my Protector, my Comfort, and my Peace. Father, as I cling to the hope I have found in You, help me to share the Source of my hope with those whose hearts have been gripped with fear for whatever reason. Use me, Lord, to be an instrument of Your peace in the earth today. In Jesus' precious name, amen and amen!

"For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." (Isaiah 41:13)

© Jan Ross
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"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8)

We live in a world of change. People and things are constantly changing. However, even though we are surrounded by an ever-changing environment, God never changes. Actually, we can't even talk of what God "has been" or what God "will be" because HE IS. To say that God is unchanging is to say that He never differs from Himself.

Because God cannot change, His promises cannot change. Because God cannot change, His purposes cannot change. Because God cannot change, His provisions cannot change. Because God cannot change, His personality cannot change. Because God cannot change, His Word cannot change. Because God cannot change, WE must change.

How can you change? In what ways do you see God moving you into position for change?

Spend some time today and ask Him how He would have you change. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Father, Your ways are so much higher than mine, Your thoughts higher than mine . . . You change not . . . so in order for me to become more like You, I must change! Help me, Lord, to be as clay in the Potter's Hand . . . moldable, transformable, and changeable! Help me change, O Lord, to be like You, to glorify You, and to be what You want me to be! Amen!

"For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6)

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"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Hebrews 11:13)

Faith is a strange thing. It carries us through rough times, allows us to build hope on nothing but a promise, gives substance to the things for which we are believing God, and provides an avenue for total trust in God in areas that we may otherwise be weak. Faith is a small word with a big meaning.

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews has been called the "Faith Hall of Fame" by Bible scholars simply because it is written testimony of the patriarchs and their unwavering faith in the God whom we love and serve. Many of our forefathers believed God for things He had promised to them, yet some of them died not having received the promise. But, they never stopped believing. As a matter of fact, they believed that God would perform that which He had promised if even after their death. Just because they were no longer living didn't mean that God would or could not perform His Word.

Such faith. Such trust. Such persuasion!

God has made many promises to us in His Word. Our goal is to be able to embrace those promises and be persuaded that He will perform His word regardless of whether or not we see the manifestation with our own eyes.

There used to be a popular bumper sticker that said, "God Said It, I Believe It, and That Settles It!"

Well, to tell you the truth, if God said it, that settles it. His words are "Yes" and "Amen." There is no variableness or turning with Him. He is committed to perform His Word.

Praise God today that no matter the circumstances in your life, God will perform His Word. "He's faithful to perform that which He had promised." And, if we die in faith, not having received the promise but have seen them afar off and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, the day will come when it shall be done.

Abraham did; let him be our example.

Father, I confess that sometimes it's so hard to see—to envision the things that You have promised in Your Word. I know You said that You are my defense, but when the attacks come from every direction I struggle to not be afraid! I know You said that You would provide for me, but when the bills are piling up, I often wonder where You are. I know that you said that I and my household would be saved, but when my children are rebelling, my faith in your absolute ability to save tends to waver. Lord, help me to keep my eyes fixed on You; help me to believe Your Word above all else…help thou my unbelief. Amen!

"They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever." (Psalm 125:1-2)

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"So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will show forth thy praise to all generations." (Psalm 79:13)

The Lord has been good to us. So very good! All that we ever need, He's been there to supply. He washed our sins away. He turned our darkness into day. He has abundantly blessed us.

Many people have memories they hold dear to their hearts about a grandparent holding them on their lap and telling stories. These dear elders took every opportunity afforded them to pass on family history, telling of the days past. Very often they would include in their storyline the rich heritage of God's love which abounded in their own home as they were growing up. They would plant a seed of hunger for the things of God into the life of that precious youngster sitting in their lap.

Now, however, many of us who were once that youngster have children and grandchildren of our own. It is so important that we take every opportunity afforded us to plant those same seeds into our children and grandchildren. The heritage of God's love and goodness is undoubtedly the most valuable gift you could ever give a child who is so eager to learn.

Make a point to spend some special time with those small children in your life and share with them the love of God. It will be seed planted in fertile soil and it will create special memories that will cling to them throughout their lives. You will be blessed by doing so. They will never, ever forget you. And, you will have touched their lives with an eternal treasure.

Show forth His praise to all generations.

Dear Lord, my heart is overwhelmed with love and thanksgiving for all You have done for me, yet many times I forget to stop and say, "Thank You, Lord!" So, I'm saying it right now. I pray, Lord, that my life will testify of your goodness even to the generations to come as I plant seeds in the lives of my children and grandchildren. Lord, as I plant these seeds, I pray that you water them and cause them to grow so they, too, will one day be able to sit down with their children and grandchildren and pass on the heritage of the goodness which You have shown to all generations. Lord, I will give thanks to You forever. Be blessed as Your people honor and praise You forever and ever, amen!

"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (1 Chronicles 16:29)

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"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Fear is one of the strongest emotions to control. Fear comes in many forms. It causes nervousness, timidity, procrastination, intimidation, tears, laughter . . . and the list goes on and on. Fear can even cause physical problems AND physical problems can cause fear.

Fear is a tool in the enemy's hand, but we have the ability to stop it for if we didn't, the Lord would never have told us to "fear not."

God has given us the remedy for fear. "Be strong and of good courage." Keep your attitude right, your eyes fixed on Him rather than on the situation or circumstance that would bring you fear.

God promises never to leave us nor forsake us. What more assurance could we ask for? What better way to free us from fear? If we don't have to worry about Him turning His back on us, then what could possibly cause us to fear? If our God is for us and not against us, whom shall we fear?

Be bold. Be strong. Be of good courage. Be no afraid. God is with you today and every day. And, if circumstances should overwhelm you, don't allow fear to grip your heart. Just know that "He's an on-time God, yes He is!" Amen!

Father, thank you for the assurance that You will never leave me nor forsake me! It is in this realization that I find freedom from fear, for what can harm me as long as you are for me and not against me. Why You should ever love me, Lord, I'll never, never know, but I'm so glad You do, amen.

"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour" (Isaiah 43:1-3)

© Jan Ross
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"And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments" (Daniel 9:4)

The New International Version translates Daniel's confession as "O Lord, the great and awesome God . . ."

There was a pastor who had been married several years with no children. They had applied for adoption and finally the call came . . . there was a perfect, beautiful baby girl waiting for them. They were thrilled, to say the least. This little girl soon became the apple of her daddy's eye and could do no wrong. Everywhere he went she was with him and, of course, each little thing she learned he showed off. One day they were in line at a fast food restaurant and she had just learned how to say the word "awesome." But when she said it, she assumed this cherub-like expression that could win over your worst enemy. As the dutiful daddy he was, he showed off her new word to many who were in line, including a dear friend of theirs. Of course, everyone "oohed and aahed" when she said it at the young age of 18 months. This friend sat with the wife and child while the daddy visited some friends for a few moments. Wanting to test this baby's abilities once more, the friend asked the little girl to say the word "awesome" once again, but instead of saying the word, she assumed the same cherub-like expression and pointed to her father and said, "Daddy."

In this child's mind, her Daddy and the word "awesome" meant the very same thing. She adored him. She loved him. He was the greatest thing in her life. No one could take his place.

There's no doubt that Daniel's feelings toward the Lord were much the same; no one could take His place.

What is YOUR definition of "awesome" today? Has someone else or something else taken the place of your Heavenly Father in the ranks of "awesome"?

With all that is happening in the world today, we all are faced with the temptation to allow "things" to take our attention and focus off of God. Be careful not to allow this to happen but follow in Daniel's footsteps declaring, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands".

Father, You are truly awesome. There is none like you, there is no one or nothing who could ever take Your place. Knowing You is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Help me, Father, to keep focused on You and to not allow the things of this earth to cloud my view of You in all I do and everywhere I go. You alone deserve my worship, You alone deserve my praise. You alone are holy. You alone are awesome. Amen and Amen!

"O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands" (Nehemiah 1:5)

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"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2)

The Psalmist, through the picturesque words penned at a time when he was awesomely aware of God's presence, was probably speaking about the 'hill' on which the temple was built, Mount Moriah. When he was at a distance, he would look toward the sanctuary, knowing that from his help came, from the secret of his tabernacle. He knew his help and strength came from the Lord . . . he had no doubt.

We must all encourage our confidence in God with the fact that He made heaven and earth, and He who did that can do anything. He made the world out of nothing, and by a mere spoken word the world was created.

Regardless of your situation today, a mere word spoken into your circumstance can and will make a way where there seems to be no way. Not only is He our Waymaker, He's the source of our strength, He's the strength of our life, He's holy, wonderful, marvelous, glorious, magnificent and righteous, and mighty!

Lord, my circumstances at times seem to overwhelm me and I fall short. I worry, fret, and allow fear to take hold in my heart. Father, help me remember that You ARE the strength of my life. You ARE the source of my strength. Help me hold onto your unchanging hand as we, You and I, walk through these next days together. Lord, I lift my heart to You in total praise. There is nothing too difficult for You, and that's why I can say without reservation, "My help comes from the Lord!" Amen.

"Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places." (Deuteronomy 33:29)

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"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." (Romans 14:10)

As humans, it is so easy for us to get caught up in everyone else's wrongdoings and neglect to see our own errors. We all struggle with this problem to one degree or another—it is doubtful that any of us are exempt.

A familiar Sunday School song gives us cause to stop and consider: "Be careful little hands what you do . . . be careful little hands what you do. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little hands what you do!"

Oh, if we, as adults, would only take a few minutes to meditate on this simple truth. Take care for what we do, pay attention to our own faults and stop being so quick to judge others. Be careful . . . what we do.

How many times have we been misjudged or our actions misinterpreted? Once, twice, a few times, or many times? It is easy to assume we've been the wronged more than once in our lifetimes. But the question we need to ask ourselves is this…How many times have we misjudged someone else or misinterpreted someone's actions?

Take a few moments right now and allow the Holy Spirit to bring these times to your remembrance and ask the Father's forgiveness for more carefully tending to other's faults while your own have gone unchecked. You may be led to right the wrong by going to one or more people, who were hurt by your misjudgment of them; if so, don't hesitate. The greatest restoration comes with confession, repentance, and forgiveness.

There's no better way to still the work of the avenger in our lives than by setting things in order. Then from that point on, we need to "be careful . . . what WE do" and allow the Father to take care of what others do. If we take care of ourselves properly, we'll more than have our hands full and we won't be so quick to criticize others.

Father, I have wrongfully misjudged so many people and at the same time I have neglected to see wrong in my own life. Lord, forgive me; I truly mean it—I need Your forgiveness. Father, show me those who have been hurt by my quick and misjudgment of them; show me if You would have me go to them to restore the relationship. Father, I long to release others from my judgment and, at the same time, I pray that You will help me to change my ways. Father, I thank You for Your love which covers the multitude of sin; I thank You for looking at me through Your eyes of love and restoring me to full fellowship with You as I learn to "be careful . . . what I do." In Jesus' precious name, amen.

"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:37-38)

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"Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified." (Psalm 40:16)

After they had gotten the ark situated and the tabernacle built, the Levites assumed their work was done and began to walk off. David immediately stopped them, telling them that their work had only just begun. You can hear the Levites complaining to David: "But, David! We just walked miles with the ark on our shoulders; we've prepared and sacrificed thousands of animals to the Lord. Aren't we done yet? And besides, there's no veil or Holy of Holies!"

David told them, "No. I didn't restore the Levitical office only to have the ark abandoned here like it was abandoned in Shiloh. Put your ephods back on. Get out your psalteries and harps again. Some of you can go eat lunch, but the rest of you are staying right here!"

The Levites, stunned at his command responded, "Well, who are we staying here for, King David? Do you want to listen to us play again? You hear us play all the time; we're tired and we've done enough."

David turned to them with a passion not understood by his Levites and said, "No, no, you're not playing for me - it's for God, an audience of One. He wants us to worship Him continually. There will never be a time when we've done it enough."

David appointed psalmists to tend to the ark day and night with musical praise, worship, and celebration.

We are so used to coming into the presence of the Lord. We feel His presence, acknowledge it with a few tears and words of praise, and we simply say, "Gotta go!" and we're on our way. Too often we want just enough of God to make us feel good or to give us the tingles or chill bumps up our spine. But He is asking, "Will you stay . . . will you spend time with me?"

Worship . . . an audience of One. It's not about us, our time schedules, our distractions, or our energy level. It's not even about whether we worship Him 5 minutes or 5 hours without ceasing.

God's passion is to be with us; He desires for us to have that same passion to be with Him.

God isn't asking for temporary visitation rights; He won't be satisfied until He has full custody.

Use David as your example and pursue the same passion for worship that David had and don't settle for less.

Father, please forgive me for being in a hurry, for not taking the time to linger in Your presence, for not seeking Your face with a passionate desire. Lord, forgive me for taking You for granted and for forgetting that my praise and my worship is for none other than You. Lord, You are my audience . . . my "Audience of One." Father, be blessed and exalted as I devote my life to worshiping You, amen.

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalm 27:14)

© Jan Ross
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