OUR DAILY BREAD : POSIES

[cimi]

February 23
Saturday


POSIES

READ:
2 Cor. 2:14-17
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We are to God the
fragrance of Christ.
__2 Corinthians 2:15
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One morning I was looking at a bouquet of flowers in a vase on our "window on the world." I realized the bouquet was spent; its leaves had wilted and the blossoms were failing.

The same morning I also read George Herbert and quite by "accident" came across his poem titled "Life." In it Herbert talks about a "posy" (a bouquet of flowers) he gathered so that he could smell the fragrance. But, as he put it, "Time did beckon to the flowers, and they by noon most cunningly did steal away, and withered in my hand."

The loss of his flowers caused him at first to see "time's gentle admonition." Herbert wrote that it "[made] my mind to smell my fatal day; yet sugaring the suspicion." Yet even as the wilted flowers reminded him of his own death, he found in the metaphor something that sweetened the thought. Herbert concluded:

``````````Farewell dear flowers, sweetly your time ye spent,`````````
``````````````Fit, while ye lived, for smell or ornament,`````````````
``````````````````````And after death for cures.`````````````````
```````````````I follow straight without complaints or grief,``````````
`````````````````Since if my scent be good, I care not, if```````````
````````````````````````It be as short as yours.`````````````````

What wisdom in this poem! Our time, however short, may be spent "sweetly" __ a sweet fragrance of Christ to others
(2 Cor. 2:14-16). Should not this be our prayer each day as we arise!
__ David Roper
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A godly life is a fragrance that draws others to Christ.

*************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Corinthians 2:14-17*********

14 Now thanks be to God
who always leads us in
triumph in Christ, and
through us diffuses the
fragrance of His knowledge
in every place. 15 For we are
to God the fragrance of
Christ among those who are
being saved and among
those who are perishing.

16 To the one we are the
aroma of death leading to
death, and to the other the
aroma of life leading to life.
And who is sufficient for
these things? 17 For we are
not, as so many, peddling
the Word of God; but as of
sincerity, but as from God,
we speak in the sight of
God in Christ.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Paul often used military metaphors to illustrate spiritual truths
(e.g., 2 cor. 10:4-4; Eph. 610-18; Phil. 2:25; 2 Tim. 2:3). In verse
14 of today's Bible reading, Paul describes a Roman triumphal
procession where the conquering general and soldiers would display
the captives and spoils of war in a victory parade through the city,
with the pagan priests offering sweet-smelling incense to the gods.
for the victors, the aroma meant victory and life. To condemned
prisoners, it meant defeat and death. __SKT