There is nothing more beautiful than a rose in full bloom and dramatically displays the handiwork of God. However, the rose in this array of beauty did not start out that way. It began as a small bud and gradually bloomed out to its full beauty, having been nourished by water and nutrients necessary for its final production.
The love of God manifested in His beloved bride is often as this rose as God implants the seed of love in the hearts of His children when they are born again and teaches them to love. Paul says, “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” (I Thess. 4:9). Love is identified as the very first fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22. This love begins to grow as it is manifested in love for others rather than for self. We are told by Jesus, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:12). When God’s word is put into practice, that is when the love begins to grow and to bloom toward its ultimate beauty.
We all start out as new born babes in Christ, but we aren’t to remain a babe just as the natural baby doesn’t remain a babe but grows through proper diet, exercise and nourishment. A young natural child usually has no malice or guile toward anyone which is why Paul tells us to be men in understanding but in malice remain a child. For the rose of love to bloom to its full beauty, something must be laid aside as  Peter instructs in I Peter 2:1-3, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
For the minister that ministers to the flock, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing the love of God bloom in a child of God as he or she grows in grace and knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The rose petals that accompany love such as joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance begin to show forth in the life of those willing to commit their lives to the Lord. The apostle John said he had no greater joy than to find his children (by the gospel) walking in truth.
Just as the rose grows to full bloom and is so beautiful, yet there comes a time it begins to fade and its petals are lost and fall to the ground. The child of God blooms in love for God and one another but there comes a time when those petals aren’t as vibrant as in former times because of advancing age. They are still present but just not able to be utilized as in former days. That is why Solomon tells us, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” (Eccl. 12:1). The evil days are the days of old age.
Finally, we lose all our petals and fall to the ground in death but the grace that caused us to love and display love lives on past death. Paul says,”That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 5:21). Even though we have lost our petals on earth, we will bloom brighter than ever in the very presence of the Lord Himself and have pleasure forever more. David said, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11). A line of a song we sometime sing says, “A rose is blooming there for me where the soul of man never dies.”–July 29, 2013–Elder Larry Wise
