The most beautiful bouquet of flowers

Friday July 16, 2021

The most beautiful bouquet of flowers

Searching the Scriptures

He who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23.12

Have you heard of Corrie ten Boom, this woman who spent time in a concentration camp during the last war ? A Christian of Dutch origin, she never hesitated to share her heart for the Lord around her. After miraculously coming out of this camp, she traveled around the world to talk about God's love, his forgiveness, and the importance of forgiving too.

She was very well known, very well liked and a lot of people told her that. One day, she was asked how she managed to remain humble, with all the compliments and all the praise she received constantly. She replied very simply :

“I consider every compliment to be a long-stemmed flower. I breathe in the scent of it, then I place it in a vase with all the other flowers I have put in it. The other flowers are of course all the praise I have. received during the day. Every evening, just before going to bed, I take the pretty bouquet and I offer it to the Lord, saying :

“Thank you, Lord, for letting me smell the scent of these flowers. Because in fact they were given to you and they all belong to you.""

She had discovered the secret of true humility.

The Lord takes pleasure in humble hearts. Besides, his Word tells us that "the greatest among you will be your servant." (Matthew 23.11)

By sharing her heart for the Lord wherever God allowed her, Corrie ten Boom put herself not only at the service of God but also at the service of her listeners, who through her had access to this hope and to this Good News which resides in our Lord Jesus. She was aware that the source of these compliments was not so much her speeches but the Life that she carried within her... Life offered by our Master to all.

We too are vessels for the Lord. Vases filled with the water of Life received from the Holy Spirit. Let us take a moment to read this verse from 1 Corinthians 6:19 : "Do you not know that ? Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you and which you have received from God. You are no longer your own."

Listen to the voice of God

Let’s take the time to listen to what God means. Does God expect you to give Him a particular bouquet of flowers in your life ?

Praying is easy. Talk to God as you would your closest friend. God loves you and he can hear everything. Here is an example of a prayer : "Lord, I too want to carry your Life and be a blessed vessel filled with your love. Allow me to share this love with all those whom you will put in my path and to keep a humble heart."

Praise God

To praise God is to show him our gratitude. What are your subjects of recognition today ? Take a time to thank the Lord.

Act today

Now dig deeper into what you have received. What can you do to apply what God has told you ? Write down the concrete actions you can take.

Honor the Lord

Our route for the day ends. Let us pray together to honor our God.

"Lord, receive all my gratitude for your love. I love you and I want to remain humble under all circumstances. Yours be the kingdom, the power and the glory, amen !"

Jean-Louis Gaillard

Source (The Thought of the Day)