March 1976
THE ROSE OF SHARON
What is it to you, O son of darkness, that I arise from my seat?
What is it to you, O daughter of evil,
that I take my stand over the earth?
What is it to you, O destroyer,
that I lift my children out of their prison house?
And that which you have squashed beneath heedless feet of unbelief shall rise to significance.
That which you have plagued and tortured,
that which you have mocked and tormented,
shall be manifested in glory and beauty.
And the world shall see my Rose of splendid appearance
and delicate fragrance,
my Rose of Sharon,
a blossom amongst the decay and ruin,
beautiful and vulnerable, so easy to destroy.
But naught shall destroy my blossom,
for it is not of this world’s order.
Strike it and it is not there;
pull its petals and you cut yourself;
Try to pluck it and receive an electric shock.
But to those who stop to drink in its beauty
there shall be the peace of heaven;
those who stoop to smell its fragrance
shall be renewed and refreshed;
those who ponder its significance shall weep
and prepare themselves for the Kingdom of God.
For suddenly the whole earth shall stop
to consider what I am doing.
Nothing shall be done in a corner any more;
secret preparations shall finally come to an end.
Instead there shall be a day of manifestation and light;
a healing shower of rain in the dust bowls of man’s creation;
a time of Sabbath-rest, a time of reconsidering,
contemplation, and re-analysis.
And the gentle breezes of heaven shall waft the fragrance
of my Rose even to the remotest of places,
those deep mines where the blind tread
the perpetual darkness of judgmental gloom.
Gentle showers of rain shall water my rose and it shall cry,
and the tears will form sparkling pools of water
where sickness and pain may be washed away.
Gentle sunshine will bring out the true colours of its petals
and the whiteness of its centre,
and man will know and understand
the secret things of many years.
He shall rejoice and praise the God of Creation
for such simple beauty.
And I will promise him a reward
if he will but turn his eyes upon the throne
and contemplate his God in the newness of the morning dews.
Therefore stand aside O scheming giants of iniquity
and make way for my great work.
Blow your trumpets, and you will only announce my coming;
perform your work and you will be hastening my day;
sow your seeds and I will use their growth
to strengthen my own plants.
Whatever you do I will frustrate you continually
until you bow your knee and confess
that Jesus is Lord and Master.
Here is a song by Paul Simon, sung by the Seekers, which, if we allow the words to be those of the Lord, speaking to one of His children, have a remarkably pointed message, relating to the above prophetic word.
SOME DAY, ONE DAY
Some day, one day, time is not so far away,
We can share those dreams, we can, O some day.
Hey there! Look in the mirror!
Tell me, what do you see before you?
I see someone to be proud of,
I see someone that I love!
People say you’re a dreamer,
What do they know of what you’re thinking?
If you believe in what you’re doing,
then believe in what I say.
I know you feel discouraged,
sometimes things move very slowly,
And I know that you feel like moving,
Feel like going,
Feel like doing,
Some day, one day, time is not so far away,
We can share those dreams,
we can,
some day.
