In Part 1 I was sharing about the treasure my children brought me, that ended up giving me some alarm, when my daughter possibly ingested a bit.
My research showed me one of the differences between Hemlock and Queen Anne’s Lace. The small, blood colored spot at the very center…the very core of the beautiful flower.
The analogy began to take form in my thoughts. The beautiful picture this little treasure would afford me with. The gem of truth that I could ruminate on, digest, and bring it forth to my little ones, as a mother bird with her chicks.
We gathered for morning worship, where I get to instruct the next generation from the Word of God.
I had one of my daughters bring the Queen Anne’s Lace into the room and place it on the coffee table. Then I read…
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” Matthew 23:25-28
Using this blessing that the Lord had sent our way yesterday, I could now compare to the children the difference between a those that only “appear” to be followers of Jesus and those that were sincere Christians with the work of the Holy Spirit within them.
Both appear moral on the outside. Both have appearances of righteousness. But what is missing from the deadly, poisonous counterfeit? The blood of Jesus.
At the very core…
At the very center of every true believer is the blood of Jesus Christ.
This is our only hope. Not our outward morals, nor our religious duties.
But the work that Christ did upon Calvary.
That little tiny dot of red on the blossom of the flower distinguished for us between the lovely and the poisonous.
So the crimson blood of Jesus, which has cleansed us from our ugly, dark, wretched sin distinguishes between His own and those that are not belonging to Him.
What a picture for my little ones not to trust in their own appearance of “goodness”, in keeping the commandments, in being obedient children.
I want my children to be obedient. I want my children to follow outwardly the things we have taught them.
But not at the expense of the heart.
Heart religion, being redeemed by the blood of Jesus will produce outward beauty. This is what I want and desire for them. And for myself.
And the Lord sent us a little flower to teach us this.
Thank you Lord for your beautiful creation, and your beautiful gospel.