" I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon." ( Hosea 14:5 )
God speaks to us through different images, colors, symbols and colors. Frequently he shows me a message through his creation in particular he speaks to me through flowers.
The Never-Withering Rose
In 2008, shortly after my appointment, I noticed a special rose blossom in my garden. It was dark red and different from all the other flowers on the rose stem. It bloomed forever and when winter came I decided to enjoy it in the vase for a few more days. But she just didn't die and didn't wither. Eventually I forgot to refill the water, but even if it got dry, it didn't wilt and it still has all the petals. Now 14 years have passed and the rose still endures. It is very important to me because it shows me that God is with me in all times, including dry ones. She keeps reminding me of Jacob and his steadfast endurance. The photo is from today (13.6.2022)
Three red roses
A few years ago, my roses grew particularly beautifully in my garden. One day I was amazed when a bouquet of roses grew out of one stem and yielded three huge roses. Each flower was about 10 cm in diameter and, as God showed me, had a special meaning: The first rose represented family and healing in families. The second, flower, represented the Church of Jesus and its healing and reformation/revival. I gave this flower to my pastor here in Minden. The third flower stood for the healing of the school, the jobs, but also for the awakening of the children and the promise from Joel 3. Since I was still a teacher at the time, I gave the third rose to my school administration. The symbols/flowers, numbers and also colors have to be interpreted if we want to understand God's message. The number three stands for the spirit of God, but also, among other things, for the threefold blessing of God. The red color stands for the blood of Jesus, the son = Jesus, and we are reminded, among other things, that sins are red and are washed clean and white by the blood of Jesus.
Sunflower
Later I was commissioned to bring a sunflower to my church. I know these plants especially from Africa. They bloom in the fall and the Lord reminded me that now is the time of the second great harvest. The golden-yellow color reminded me of God's Word, God's Spirit and God's Light.
The frosted rose
Here you see a rose covered in hoarfrost from the same rosebush as above. It bloomed last year and was beautiful and appeared very cloaked. She reminded me of the movie "The Ice Princess". It should finally bloom, but it was just the wrong time to bloom. She was surrounded by cold and longed for warmth. She was ready to be warmed by the sun as we should be and to be filled with God's light to bloom for Him. God calls us to "Open up and become light!" (Isaiah 60:1)
The Iris
This year "my" iris bloomed, (in German this particular flower is called the sword lily). It's weird about that iris. It grows in front of the house, has appeared regularly in spring since 2011, but it moves a little closer to the house every year. So far she has only had one beautiful flower. This year, however, it bore three flowers. And this reminded me again of my three rose petals mentioned above and their meaning.
The genus of irises rightly bears the common botanical name Iris. Iris is the Greek word for rainbow and alludes to the striking colors that these beautiful plants bring to the garden. Likewise, the iris (rainbow) reminds us of the reconciliation between God and man.
But the iris also reminds us of an eye. The sheet gave the heavy lilies their German name. Long, narrow and tapering to a point, it is reminiscent of a sword. What I found out during my research was that the iris fears no diseases. It is an old medicinal plant and the two-part leaf of the iris is supposed to stand for the pains in the heart of Mary, Jesus mother, on the one hand, and on the other hand for her steadfastness against our enemy Satan.
More lilies and lily names
The iris is often mentioned in the Bible: In Song of Solomon 2:1 it is also referred to as a narcissus or a rose. and in Isaiah 35:1 the lily is named for its wondrous, splendid appearance. This lily reminds me of the water lily (see picture on the left) that just bloomed again in 2021 and 2022 because of the very good rain in Namibia, my old homeland.
The iris is a symbol of the true incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it is also seen as a messenger of divine prophecy and a connection to our Heavenly Father.
God's promises
God showed me and so also you through various flower pictures that He is for us and that the great new thing is about to grow:
It is for the families, and their healing, no matter how broken they are, no matter how much suffering they have endured or how much trauma has come over them. Our heavenly Father wants to heal us in Jesus name.
God is for our Christian communities, for the big churches, but also and especially now in the end times for the many small house churches or internet churches. What he started with his people Israel, he will complete with all nations.
Our Father wants to bless our work or jobs. Our service, our cooperation in the kingdom of God is important to him and he wants to bless us. There are so many unemployed and job seekers these days. On the other hand, there are jobs where there aren’t enough employees, I’m thinking of the nursing professions, for example. But he also wants to pour out his spirit on children, male and female servants, and so on. (Joel 2: 28 ff)
In the last two years, God has made many people think, especially through the Covid period. He calls to us: