The Morning Glory, a simple
flower, gives to man the beauty of experiencing and loving life. As the
dawning rays of the sun penetrates its surrounding, the petals of the
flower open ever expanding to its glow. The increasing warmth and
brightness of the sun causes the flower to raise its head, spread its
petals, and reach up to its source of life. Eventually, the flower will
stand as erect and as exposed as it can to take in the full effect of the
sun. Through the power of the sun, the glory of the flower is perfected.
Since the beginning of time, however, the night has always followed the
day. The sun will rise, but the sun will set. As the light of the day
begins to diminish, the petals of the Morning Glory begin to draw in unto
itself. With the passing of dusk and the approach of midnight, the flower
bends its head, gathers its petals, and prepares for the night.
Eventually, the flower will bow in perfect submission to its creator. This
humble submission in the midnight is also the glory of the flower.
The Morning Glory, without the capability to observe and to make judgment
on what is occurring in its life, lives the days and the nights of its
existence in simplistic harmony and in perfect glory to God. Peter also
shared this same truth throughout his letters. He quoted the Psalmist to
illustrate the simplistic, yet profoundly challenging, guide to loving
life and experiencing the glory of God:
What man is he that
desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy
tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil,
and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon
the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the
LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them
from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth
them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a
broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the
afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them
all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall
slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The
LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in
him shall be desolate. (Ps 34:12-22).
Many are the afflictions of
the righteous, but none of the righteous that trust in the Lord shall be
desolate, shall perish, shall lose the love of life. There will always be
afflictions in life for bad things (the seedtime, the cold, the winter,
and the night) happen to everyone. It is only when the tongue becomes evil
(based in bad thoughts) and the lips speak guile (words that deceive or
are fraudulent) do the love of life and good days cease to exist. Yet,
when the righteous (those whose tongue is not evil and their lips do not
speak guile) cry, the Lord hears and delivers them (brings salvation) out
of all their troubles.
The Lord is always near to them that are of a broken heart. The Lord is
always close to them whose heart is bursting from the experiencing of bad
things in their lives. Conversely, the Lord is not near (He is always
near, but the effect of Him is not near.) when one is in denial. Accepting
the consequences of our mortality will always produce a broken heart. But,
the broken heart allows the Lord to be near to bring deliverance. He
always saves those of a contrite (not deceiving or fraudulent) spirit.
The Morning Glory, again, shows us the simplistic, yet profoundly
challenging, answer to the deliverance, the salvation of our souls. When
the diminishing rays of sunlight are causing the petals of the flower to
withdraw back into itself and its head begins to droop downward, the
Morning Gory does not resist the abatement--the diminishing glory of the
sunlight. It cannot because it does not have the capability to observe and
to pass judgment on what is happing to it.
Herein lies the difference between man and the rest of creation. Because
we can think about what is happing to us, our love for life and the
experiencing of good days are often destroyed. As the circumstances of
life (the afflictions) come our way, we observe what is happening, pass
judgment on it, and declare that we do not deserve what we are
experiencing. Evil words of deception proceed out of our mouth that run
the gamut from depressing resignation to belligerent defiance.
These words and thoughts, which war against our souls, produce the hells
of our lives. We are lost in the evil imaginations of our minds. What
should be the glory of man has become our shame. We now need
salvation--deliverance from a mind out of control.
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