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I am as intrigued by this flower as, apparently, insects are attracted to it. It looks so frilly and fragile, and yet I find it in the most unkempt and uninviting locations, like ditches and briar patches. This is the passion flower, or one species anyway, of the genus Passiflora. Passion flowers are native to tropical rain forests but are now found widely in the southern United States, also. You may hear the plant referred to as a maypop or wild apricot because of the fruit it produces, which is edible in some species. (I don’t advise picking and eating any maypops you may find, though, unless you know a trusted expert who says it’s okay.) Like many plants, passion flowers have medicinal uses and are said to have a sort of tranquilizing effect. Parts of the flowers, leaves, and stems can be dried and crushed and used in teas or capsules to treat nervousness or insomnia. (Again, I’m not advocating that you go out and make your own tea.) I think the passion flower is beautiful and interesting, so I was naturally curious about how it got its name.

All of the sources I read indicated that the passion flower got its name from missionaries to South America in the 16th century. These missionaries saw the flower as a good omen and assigned meaning to the different flower parts to symbolize events in the last hours of Christ’s life, the Passion of Christ. The five sepals and five petals, which look very similar, represent 10 of the 12 apostles. Peter is excluded because he denied Christ, and Judas is excluded because he betrayed Christ. The ring of colored filaments, or corona, signify the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head. Extending from the middle of the flower, the five stamens, or male pollen-producing parts, represent Christ’s wounds, and the three styles at the top of the flower’s ovary represent the three nails used to hang Christ on the cross. The tendrils of the passion flower vine are said to resemble the whips used to scourge Christ. The goal of my blog is to glorify God and praise Him for His creation, so I love that this fascinating flower will now remind me of the gift of God’s son and the blood that saves us!

Christ died for us! He rose from the dead! That is good news, the gospel! We can read a great definition of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Paul wrote, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” Verse 14 adds, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” Paul also said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Acts 4:12, speaking of Christ, says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Christ died, was buried, and rose again, so that we may be saved! That’s the good news, which we should share and of which we should not be ashamed. And now notice how the act of baptism mirrors Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in Romans 6:3-6. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Colossians 2:12 says, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Because Christ shed his blood for us, we can crucify our old selves by being buried in baptism and rising to live new lives.

Maybe you don’t need a reminder of what Christ did for us by his death on the cross, but I think it’s a wonderful thing if we can be reminded of the power of God and Christ through all of our surroundings – even a flower in a ditch or briar patch. As I studied scriptures for this post, I could not help but think of the song In Christ Alone, written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty (In Christ Alone lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group). Singing it during a worship service or just reading the lyrics always brings tears to my eyes. I’ve heard it sung by lots of artists, but my favorite rendition is by Christina Grimmie on her YouTube channel. (And I love the version of it that my niece and her choral group from Harding Academy sing.) Click here if you’d like to listen to Christina perform the song, and I dare you not to cry! (Sadly, Christina was shot and killed about 3 years ago, a couple of years after being a finalist on NBC’s “The Voice.”) I’m posting a copy of the song’s lyrics below, along with some of the scriptures that maybe gave rise to the lyrics. (These are just scriptures that I chose to include. I don’t really know what the writers had in mind as they penned the lyrics.) To me, the song includes the gospel, the glorious and great news! I hope you enjoy the lyrics, and I hope you think of the good news if you ever come across a passion flower. (I apologize for how the format below may appear on a mobile device. The song lyrics and the scriptures are supposed to be in columns right next to each other, but they may not appear that way on a phone or tablet. Hopefully, that will not diminish for you the power of the lyrics!)

IN CHRIST ALONE

Thank you for reading! My favorite lines from the song, and the ones that always bring the tears, are “sin’s curse has lost its grip on me” and “no power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hand.” If you would like to learn any more about passion flowers, you can check out the links to the sources that I referenced.

SOURCES

• http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/flowers/passionflower/passion.html
• https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/tropicalflowers/blue-passion-flower
• https://www.koop-phyto.org/en/medicinal-plants/passion-flower.php
• https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=295
• https://www.britannica.com/plant/passion-flower

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

“Be still, and know that I am God.” I’ve been thinking about that statement and planning a blog post about it for a few weeks now. Suddenly, I started noticing this verse popping up everywhere in memes and Facebook posts, so I thought the message might be getting old and that I should put it on the back burner for a while. Then I thought that maybe I was seeing the verse often because it was a message that people wanted to hear and one of which they needed constant reminding. After all, I hadn’t tired of it yet, so maybe others wouldn’t be tired of it either. My granddaughter (three and a half years old) would tell me I was being “a fickle” since I changed my mind about this. One day, after she had repeatedly changed her mind about what she wanted to play and what she wanted to eat and what she wanted to watch on television, I told her that she was being fickle. Of course, she immediately asked, “What does that mean, Mimi?” And she’s not forgotten my answer! She constantly tells me when she’s “being a fickle again.” Pretty cute for a three year old, but aren’t you thankful that our God is not a fickle God? His mighty works are always visible, his love is constant, and his promises are never broken.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” The New American Standard Bible says, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” One definition for “strive” is “to struggle or fight vigorously.” The message in this verse is so much more than just “take time to recognize what God has done.” That’s what I used to think the verse meant – be still long enough to notice God’s power. I still think that can be part of what we take from this verse, but when we read Psalm 46 in its entirety and consider the words “cease striving,” I think we get a much bigger picture of the meaning of God’s words. Take some time to read the psalm from your Bible or click here to read it. It’s a song about God being a refuge and a stronghold for his people. I love the very first verse! “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” This means he is “abundantly available for help.” No wonder God tells us to “cease striving.” He is there for us. It’s like he is saying, “Enough is enough! I am God! Understand that!” We should not fear what faces us because “the Lord of hosts is with us.” We do not have to struggle or fight vigorously because God will help us fight our battles. Remember the words of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 32:7-8. “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” Remember Nehemiah’s words as he was involved with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. “At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” (Nehemiah 4:20) Remember the words of Asa in 2 Chronicles 14:11. “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” “Cease striving.” “Be still.” Relax in the knowledge that God is constant and he is in control.

But God knows that we do need reminders. He knows that we sometimes forget to give him credit and glorify him for our accomplishments and our possessions. He knows that sometimes we start thinking we can fight our battles without him and that we can prosper by OUR OWN striving. That’s why he gave the Israelites these instructions in Deuteronomy 6:6-9. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Verse 12 adds “then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” God knows we have a tendency to forget. In Exodus 14, we can read how the Israelites apparently forgot about the mighty plagues they had witnessed that God brought upon the Egyptians, and they were frightened when they saw the Egyptians gaining ground on them as they escaped from their bondage. They cried out that it would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. But Moses told them, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” (Exodus 14:10-14) In Matthew 14:22-31, we can read about Peter, who seemingly forgot the power of Christ and became frightened and started to sink as he was walking on the water. Jesus asked him why he doubted. We forget. Sometimes this causes us to put too much emphasis on our own abilities. Sometimes this causes us to be lacking in our faith. “Cease striving.” “Be still.” Relax in the knowledge that God is constant and he is in control.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” I think it’s okay if you and I read this verse everyday. I don’t think its message gets old. We obviously need reminders, as God’s people always have. I am so thankful for the Bible, which is full of the reminders we need. Read it! I am thankful for God’s creation, which is full of the reminders we need. Notice it! “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:24) “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (Deuteronomy 7:9) “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thess. 3:3) His mighty works are always visible, his love is constant, and his promises are never broken. “Cease striving.” “Be still.” Relax in the knowledge that God is constant and he is in control. And he is NOT “a fickle!”

There’s nothing like the smell of honeysuckle in the spring air on a morning walk! I have wonderful childhood memories of pinching the blooms from the vine and sipping their sweet nectar. I know Heaven will be beautiful beyond my imagination, but I sort of hope God has decided that it will smell like honeysuckle blooms! Revelation 21 gives us a glimpse of Heaven’s majesty by describing it as a city with walls of jasper, foundations of precious jewels, gates of pearls, streets of gold, and no tears or pain. That tells us that Heaven’s appearance will be magnificent and that we will always be joyful, but it says nothing about how Heaven might smell. I know that it really doesn’t matter one bit. What matters is that I go there one day and that I help as many other people as possible to go there as well. I’m just thinking that IF Heaven could be made any nicer, it should smell like honeysuckle blooms!

Another thing I remember from my childhood is watching ABC’s Wide World of Sports every Saturday. This was before the days of satellite television and Netflix and Hulu and Roku and ……… These were the days of getting three channels if you were lucky, of having a large antenna outside on a pole, and of one person having to go outside to physically turn the antenna pole, while another person stood at the door and yelled when he could see that the picture on the television was clearer. But I really wanted to mention what I remember about the Wide World of Sports. The show opened every week with Jim McKay making a statement about “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” and as he said “the agony of defeat,” you would see on the television screen a ski jump going horribly wrong. I never understood how the skier could have survived such a tremendous crash, so I always thought that was a victory in and of itself. Yes, it was a defeat for the athlete but a victory for the person to have survived and cheated death.

Today when I think about victory, I still think of victory over death but in a much different context. I think about the victory made possible by the blood of Christ. I’d like to share a passage from 1 Corinthians 15, which includes a couple of my favorite verses.

I Corinthians 15:50-57
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise be to God that Christians are promised victory over death through Jesus Christ! This promise should help us remain steadfast and motivated to continue in the Lord’s work (1 Corinthians 15:58). An eternity in Hell would be the ultimate agony of defeat, but an eternity in Heaven would be the most thrilling victory imaginable! And maybe, just maybe, that victory will smell like honeysuckle blooms in springtime.

One morning a few weeks ago, our yard was blessed with the arrival of goldfinches galore. What pops of color they were in the purple blooms of the redbud trees! I was so impressed by the vibrant hues on display before me, and I couldn’t help but think of the following verse: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11) I try to remember to begin my prayers each day with that thought. God is worthy!! He is responsible for the beauty we can find everyday if we take the time to look. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1) He is responsible for the delicate balance of the bodily systems that keep us alive. Like the psalmist, we should praise God because we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) He is responsible for the gift of His Son that gives us the opportunity for eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Yes, God is worthy to receive glory and honor and power. He is worthy of our highest praise! Many of the psalms are full of praises that glorify our God and recognize his marvelous deeds, so I would like to share a few of them now.

Psalm 33:1-9
Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

Psalm 95:1-6
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

God is worthy! He made us and we are his people. We are nothing without him and he deserves our reverence. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17) God is worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for he created all things!

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6

One day last May, I was taking a walk with my camera, and I stopped to take pictures of some water lilies in a pond. Later, I imported my photos onto my computer to get a better look at them and decide which ones to crop and edit and which ones to delete. I thought I was only taking pictures of water lilies, but I discovered this baby turtle once I cropped the original photo. There were also a few turtle heads peeking out between the lily pads. I get really excited when I find things in my photos that I didn’t realize were there. Especially if those things are baby turtles! Of course, even if I never saw the turtle, it was still there! This little guy made me think about my faith in God.

In Hebrews 11:1, the Bible says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” And verse 3 says, “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” Even though we cannot see God, He is still there! We see evidences of His mighty power all around us, that is if we have faith that He exists. If you want to learn more about the faith of some who lived before us, just read all of Hebrews 11. Like the baby turtle in my photo, God is there whether we see Him or not. If we have trouble finding Him, maybe we just need to take a closer look. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)

I love the lyrics of the Danny Gokey song, “Haven’t Seen It Yet.” If you’ve never heard this song, check it out here. The captions on the pictures below are lines from the song.