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He Shall Sustain You – The Fragrance of the Lily Among Thorns Cast your burden upon the Lord, the psalmist cries, and He shall sustain you! He will never allow the righteous to be shaken, to be toppled, to be uprooted. O trembling soul, lay it all upon Him, every weight, every sorrow, every silent cry of the night for He alone is your upholder. When I am afraid, I will trust in You, declares the heart that has known the midnight hour. In God, I will praise His Word. In God I have put my trust. What can flesh do to me? What threat, what weapon, what breath of man can reach or peirce the shield of the Almighty? And we fragile clay vessels, hold within us a treasure that outshines the universe. It is not our strength, nor our will, nor our wisdom, it's His power, coursing like fire through our frailty. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not defeated by despair. Persecuted, yet never abandoned. Struck down, yes, but never destroyed. We carry in these mortal frames the death of Jesus , why? That His very life, His resurrection power, His holy flame, might blaze forth through our brokenness. We who live, live delivered unto death for His sake, so that the life of Christ might burn through the veil of our mortal flesh. Death works in us so that life may manifest itself in others. Resurrection life. So we do not lose heart! Though the outer man is perishing, the inner man, the spirit man, is being renewed daily. For this light affliction, these aching moments, this crucible of pain, is momentary, and is working in us a glory so weighty, so eternal, it defies human language. We fix our eyes not on what is seen, the diagnosis, the betrayal, the grief, the pain, the loss, but on what is unseen: the crown, the reward, the glory, the throne, the Lamb, the King high and lifted up. For what we see is passing. But what we do not see, that is eternal. That is where the glory dwells. As Andrew Bonar once whispered in sacred insight, "We are to be rewarded not only for work done, but for burdens borne and I am sure that the brightest rewards will be for those who have borne burdens without murmuring. On that day He will take the lily, that has been growing up so long among the thorns and lift it up to be the glory and the wonder of the universe, and the fragrance of that lily will draw forth ineffable praises from all the hosts of heaven." (The Smile of Thy love) On that Day, He will reach into the bramble, the bloodied thorns, and lift forth the lily, the soul that suffered silently, faithfully, lovingly. And He shall exalt her before the wondering hosts of heaven. The fragrance of that life — hidden with Christ, crushed in sorrow, yet never ceasing in praise, shall rise like incense and perfume the courts of eternity. So to you who suffer, to you who are tired, who weep, who war with sickness and sorrow and bear it all with grace , know this: You are His lily among thorns. You are a fragrance to the Lord. Heaven sees you. And in the age to come, you shall be raised in glory, wild and radiant, clothed in white, standing in a field of everlasting wildflowers. And the scent of your faith, your love, your endurance shall fill the heavens forever. O weary saint, hold fast. Eternity is already leaning toward you.