“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” Luke 12:27-28
Consider the Lilies (Luke 12:27-28) – Beautiful Lent #6
Lilies seem almost synonymous with the Easter season. And funerals. These large, showy flowers are both beautiful and highly fragrant. In floral language, they are symbols of “love, ardor, and affection.” How amazing that these flowers are the symbolic flower for the time of year when we celebrate the greatest act of love the world has ever seen!
Anxiety abounds
Right now in life, even as we approach the celebration of Easter Sunday, it seems like there is a lot to be anxious about. Worry fills us as financial worries pile up or health concerns worsen, or relationships get twisted with resentment, However, today as we celebrate the beauty of Lent with these lilies, let’s consider what Luke 12 says,
“And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!” Luke 12:22-28
Do not be anxious
Jesus tells us straight up. “Do not be anxious.” Do. Not. Be. Anxious. Not about anything. Consider the lilies…they grow so big and beautiful and fragrant, but they don’t have to strive and worry that they will have what they need. All that beauty is the result of God lovingly caring for them. Their lifespan is so short compared to that of humans. Some of them are never even seen by human eyes, and yet, God clothes them in beauty and majesty.
He knows what we need
Imagine how much more God cares for us. His love has been poured out on us through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. His power on our behalf has been displayed through the resurrection of Jesus. However, His love for us did not stop with Easter. He wants to be intimately involved in every area of our daily lives. He longs for us to let go of our striving and worry and trust Him. He knows what we need before we even ask Him. We have only to seek God’s kingdom first, and He will ensure that we are cared for and provided for.
“And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” Luke 12:29-31
Replace worry with faith
It occurs to me that my worry and fear of the future is an expression of how little faith I am living out. Flowers, all the flowers of the Beautiful Lent series, should be a reminder to me that God intricately designed both them and me. He created me and loves me with the love of a parent who wants the best for His child. If I remember how much God loves me, I can let go of my worry and fear, steadfastly and diligently replacing it with faith in His care of me. When the world around me feels chaotic, He still cares for me. When others are against me, God still loves me. When I feel like there is not enough (time, money, strength, health, etc), Father God is standing there ready to provide if I will turn to Him.
Action Step:
I am preaching to myself today. I desperately need to get my eyes off of the problem (whatever problem I am obsessing about) and back onto the One who knows the answer. How do I do that?
When I start to feel my shoulders hunching up in stress or my heart starts beating really fast because I don’t know the solution, I am choosing to remind myself that the same God who clothes and provides for the lilies out in the field cares deeply for me. He holds the answer to whatever is stressing me out. Let’s take this moment right now to take a deep breath, close our eyes and release control over those problems and stresses in our lives to God, asking Him to care for us. Inviting Him to lead and guide us to the solution that He knows is best.
Prayer:
Dear God, I have been holding on too tightly to control the problems in my life. Please forgive me for not putting my trust in you. Help me to trust you fully in each and every moment that feels overwhelming. Remind me over and over again of the care you give even to the lilies of the field and how much more you love me and provide for me. You are Love, and choose to place my trust in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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I have just finished all 6 of your lent devotionals. I just recently purchased water colours so this was an excellent opportunity to try them. I thoroughly enjoyed all your devotionals. I made notes and after I finished transferring the printables to my journaling scrapbook I added my notes so I would not forget what your devotionals were about. I really enjoyed learning about fig trees, olive trees and spikenard. Your devotionals are very thought provoking, Thank you very much for these devotionals and the videos. It all is very much appreciated.