Sakura

At this time of year, we are blessed by the flowers of the Cherry Blossom trees or Sakura to use the Japanese name. While not fruit-bearing, their blousy pink blooms are welcome heralds of summer. There are many varieties and cultivars, and I have difficulty telling them apart. I think the one above is Prunus Serrulata, but I shall settle for the generic Flowering Japanese Cherry. If one must fault them, it is for the brevity of their flower. A stiff wind will denude the branches in little time, leaving the trees looking bare and the gutters awash with fading pink petals. David writes in Psalm 103:15:

As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

In other words, our glory (our achievements, honours, prestige) is brief, momentary and transient. Here today, blown away tomorrow. Yet when the Biblical writers mention the glory of God, it is often followed by a description of its eternal, everlasting duration:

Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Philippians 4:20)

If your glory is your own, expect to have it divested, soon. If you have believed the gospel, expect to share Christ’s glory, just as soon.