Take the crocus. It is the simplest of flowers, yet it does something no other flower does. It blooms through the final blanket of the early spring snowfall, sticking its tentative shoot upward, even as the rest of the world hunkers in redoubt against the bitter winds.
The crocus doesn’t see the icy covering over its head as a reason to give up on life. Rather, it becomes a challenge. The crocus knows it is time to bloom, and it does so in spite of the challenges, forming a VIBRANT carpet of color against the stark landscape of retreating winter.
God encourages us to do the same, for we abide in his sustenance, and it is with his authority that we break through that which entombs us, reaching our arms into the sun, and finding that which is waiting on us: the VIBRANT brilliance of God’s presence on our faces, warming us with his glory, and inviting us to rejoice in him.
Let’s take a look at our VIBRANT God:
V – He is the VICTORY that comes after the struggle.
1 Chronicles 29:11 describes the magnificence of our holy Lord, for his is the greatness, the power, the glory, and the VICTORY; for there is nothing in the heavens that does not belong to him.
Even in something as insignificant as a flower struggling against the chill of early spring, God trumpets his success in the blooms that carpet the land.
I – He is our INHERITANCE, the proof of his faith in us.
Ephesians 1:11 leaves no room for doubt, for in this passage, we can find the assurance that if we allow God to perform his will in us, he will reward us with the beauty that we call heaven.
The flower under the soil, encased in its protective bulb, cannot see the sun, nor can it embrace the sky. Yet the sun and the sky are there anyway. Even so, the crocus reaches through the chill soil, and breaking the snow’s crust, finds that which is its promise: sun, refreshing, and life. Its INHERITANCE is already there; it only has to reach for it.
B – He BRINGS us his hand of blessing, giving us fresh life for our sustenance.
Psalm 1:3 is a richly encouraging passage, for we learn that if we sink our roots into the waters of life, God’s power will BRING forth fruit in the coming season, our leaves will not wither, and we will prosper in all that we do.
Our God turns the earth on its axis, and he carpets our world with the sun’s warmth. It is his gracious love that BRINGS life to his children. The snow is for a season, and when we reach toward him, we will find his blessings.
R – He REMEMBERS us, even when the world buries us in pain.
Genesis 9:15 is the culmination of one of the most horrific stories in the Bible. Man has been so evil that God has destroyed them all, except for one man’s family, Noah's. Yet, even in all the destruction, God REMEMBERS his covenant with Noah and all living creatures, and he vows never again to destroy his creation with a flood.
When we feel we can’t find the light of day, God has not forgotten us. We can reach up through the bitterest circumstance, and the warmth of God’s presence will remind us that he REMEMBERS us.
A – He is ALTOGETHER everything we need.
Psalm 19:9 exposes the core of our relationship with God. There is nothing we need, other than him. Our respect for the Lord purifies us. His judgments are dependable and trustworthy.
What we must remember is that God does not cover us with lifelessness. Rather, he gives us new life. All we have to do is listen to him, and when he says grow, we stretch and grow, right through the crust of the snow. Remember, he is ALTOGETHER everything we need.
N – His NAME is that rock upon which we can stand.
Isaiah 50:10 gives us no room for misunderstanding. When the circumstances of life keep the warmth of God’s love from us, all we have to do is trust in the NAME of the Lord, and we will know the brilliance of his power and might in our lives.
The power of God will be the source of our strength, just as the sun causes the flower to grow. All we need to do is believe on his NAME.
T – He is the TREASURE that we seek.
Deuteronomy 28:12 reveals our God’s TREASURE house, for his good gifts are in the rain that falls upon the land, in the crops we harvest, and in the great riches we amass.
When God chooses to bless us, the unexpected spring snows that remind us of the desolate winter season must melt before him. We will be free to reach toward life and prosperity, for all the TREASURE of God’s storehouses is ours to enjoy.
God’s presence is VIBRANT in our lives, for he is our INHERITANCE, our SUSTENANCE, and our great TREASURE.
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Code: FGO.A.30.14a.vp