"The Spiritual Symbolism of Moss: Strength, Humility and New Beginnings"
- Sister Janet K.
- Apr 15, 2024
- 2 min read
There is nothing outstanding in this photo but in all of Creation, God has a purpose we often overlook. Moss is found everywhere but unlike a beautiful flower in the sun, it doesn’t draw our attention yet God created it with a purpose. Often overlooked, these tiny plants have incredible properties. From hot deserts to damp caves, they can survive in extreme conditions and play an important role in bio diverse habitats across the world. They are the first new life where there has been destructive forces like fires and floods. Their strength is not in roots but Instead they have rhizoids, which are small hairlike structures. Their main function is anchoring the plant to rock, bark or soil. They stabilize the soil surface and retain water, helping new plants to grow as well as regulating temperatures. Therefore, moss spiritually represents strength, humility and new beginnings .
“Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth” Numbers 12:3
Moses led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt by facing the Pharaoh and parting the Red Sea. Yet when God first called him to lead his people, he humbly said, ”I can’t speak“. Moses knew he was not the outstanding leader personality but that is just the reason God chose him. In studying his reaction to being overwhelmed, he cried out to God for wisdom and was willing to take advice from those God gave him. He had compassion and respect for others , even the women in his camp.
“Humility isn’t about pretending to be lower than we are. It’s about realizing we are not as mighty as we think. When we understand who we are—gifted, loved, and made in the image of God, but also flawed, weak, and wholly dependent upon God” that is when He lifts us up and gives us victory. “ (Kevin DeYoung (PhD, University of Leicester)
Moses was a “type” of Jesus in that his humility and dependence on God, His Father, became the strength to obey, lead, and bring those God chose to new life.
“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” Psalm 25:9
It’s not easy to feel like the unnoticed moss that’s walked on as insignificant. But that is why “he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6
Today Lord, we praise you for the beauty and wisdom in your Creation from the mightiest mountains to the seemingly lowliest moss. Thank you we can be more than we ever knew when we humble ourselves before you. Amen. 🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️
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