The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-08-19

L
1 cation of man. He wants us to con-
slider them for the deeper spiritual les
sons which they may teach us.
or ONSIDER the lilies of the field"
- because they speak of GODS
| faithful care, because they reveal a
sweet faith, humble trust, willing
/ obedience and a glorious mission. God
| the Creator on His part giving to the
little plant all it needs. And the Gre
ated thing on its part patiently. trust
! fully, humbly waiting within the cir
Gle of the Divine will, there to be made
| glorious and beautiful, whether 1T is
sunshine or storm, whether it is the chill
and darkness of the night or the scorch-
ing heat OF the DAY. And 'if God doth
so clothe the grass of the field, which
! to-day is, and tomorrow is cast into
| the oven, shall He not much more clothe
| you, o We of little faith?" There is vital
and intimate relationship between God
and the lilies of the field, but between
God and man there is the barrier of I'M
belief, of disobedience. of willful impa-
thence. Between God and nature there
is cordial fellowship, but between God
and man that fellowship has been sew
cred through mans forgetfulness OF
God and his mad, eager rush after the
things of this life. And do not think
the lilies are speaking to your heart
Gods message as you think beautiful
and sentimental thoughts of God and
nature and pirate about Gods care and
love universal. The lilies speak heart
searching message. 1t is one man does
not like to hear, il is one which his heart
is not sensitive to understand. Think
you that you have heard the message
when you rush back to the city and
plunge with greater eagerness than be-
fore after the material things of this
life, and worry and fret because they
do not come faster, or become discour-
aged and morose because of the misfor-
tunes and privatiOns of life? Think you
that you have heard the message when,
the fields behind you and the pavement
of the city's streets beneath your feet,
you forget God and the lilies and seek
first man and mammon, and care not so
much about method as that the coveted
goal is reached?
T HE proof that the message has
l been heard and understood is
found in the seeking first the Kingdom
Of God and His Righteousness, and prov
ing the truth of Gods assertion that
all else needed for this life shall be add
ed And as the beautiful dress and
fragrance of the lily which God so free
ly gives it make it a creation of exqui-
site perfection, so man in character and
life would be as beautifully clothed
and provided for as the lily if he put
God and His righteousness first and
mans desires and seeming interests
second. Man robs himself day after
day because he does not learn the mes
sage of the lilies of the field. Our lily
Of the field might, if her will and pur-
pose were not SO firmly rooted in the
place where God had planted her, roam
the world over seeking the softest of
silks and satins, choosing the daintiest
of colors which man could obtain, living
TO crafty every selfish wish and am
bition, and she would fail, miserably
fail. There would be no admiring
glances at her beauty, there would be
no fragrance in the air. How she would
rob the world and Godi And man is
doing that very thing. He talks of
Gods care and love and yet he does not
know what it means, because unlike
the lily he is not willing to abide in
Gods will; he is not willing to I'LL the
place GOO intended; he is rebellious at
conditions and privations; he is bound
to have his own will and seek his own
way. The lily speaks of sweet, simple
faith in God, of obedient surrender TO
Hrv-r
did growth and glorious fruitage, OF pa
tient waiting through every experience
in life, whether it is the heat of tempta-
ton or the darkness and chill of priva-
tons hour; whether it is the glad sun
shine and refreshing shower of prosperi-
ty or the Frustrating wind and hail of
adversely. 1t is the sweet, abiding trust
in God which brings that peace and joy
which passeth all understanding.
A ND the lily of the field in the light
n of Christ's solemn words declares
to the soul of man that if he does not
belong to Christ, if the regenerating
power of the Son of God is not felt, if
His life is not flowing through the
human life, that that life is dead and
withered as far as the eternal and en-
during things of God are concerned
That flower is the glory of the plant,
and God has declared that He has
created man for His glory. But how
could the lily apart from the plant re-
veal the glory of that plant, and how
can man apart from God and out OF
with God manifest and re-
veal the glory of God? Jesus Christ
came into the world to reveal God to
men, to manifest forth His glory. and
He accomplished His mission only as
He faithfully and persistently kept His
place in the Fathers will He bore
the beautiful fruitage of a God-like |
character. And the only way for man
to grow the fruits of Cnrist-like |
character is for him to abide in the |
Christ. This, then, is one of the les
sons which the lily would teach us. |
Apart from the plant, useless and i'm |
mature and dead. Apart from Christ, |
an imperfect character, immature and |
useless and finally eternal death be- |
yond the grave. Consider, then, the |
lilies of the field" for they teach of |
Gods love and care, of the beauty and |
success of humble faith, and willing |
obedience and patient waiting, of the |
fruitage of Christian character which |
can come only as the soul is found in |
Christ and Christ is found within the |
soul.
Power of Religion.