Tag: worry

  • A Lesson From the Lilies – no need to worry

    I snapped these tiger lilies some years ago. I came across them in my photo file, and they brought a passage of Scripture where Jesus reminds us to trust God to mind.

    And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Matthew 6:28-30

    So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

    It’s a familiar passage. I’ve often seen it illustrated with beautiful white lilies. It’s true that many lilies are white, but the Middle East has a plethora of other colorful lilies as well. 

    It’s impossible to know for certain what species of lily Jesus was speaking of, or what his hearers pictured. In fact, it might not have been a lily at all. The word translated in our English Bible is the word שׁוֹשַׁנָּה, shoshanah in the Old Testament, and κρίνον (krinon) in the New. Either word can mean any of a variety of flowers 

    The image is likely far more colorful than we picture. The call to not worry doesn’t change if we change the flower. Jesus is making the point that is that even ordinary, fleeting field flowers surpass Solomon’s glory in their God-given beauty.

    We often skip by passages like this because they are so familiar. Yet, it’s worth stopping here to meditate.

    If God put that much care and beauty into simple flowers, how much more does He care for us? We were designed to be in eternal fellowship with God. Just stop and think about that concept for a moment.

    It’s profound. Who are we that God should love us that much?

    If God loves us that much, what do we have to worry about in the long run?

    There is great peace and joy in knowing we can trust God to guide us through whatever we face. It’s humbling to imagine that He cares for us that much.

    It’s no wonder that the Psalmist could write…

    What is man that You remember him, and the son of man that You care for him? Psalm 8:4

    Trust God. He has it all under control.

    Be blessed 

    Kevin 

    You might find this interesting: “Are there tulips in the Bible”

    SUMMARY

    The “lilies” Jesus pointed to were likely far more colorful than the familiar white lily, and that vivid image sharpens the point. If God clothes fleeting wildflowers with beauty that surpasses Solomon’s glory, how much more does He care for us, made for eternal fellowship with Him?

    TAKEAWAY

    The flower Jesus referenced may have been any number of colorful wildflowers. The image is richer and more vibrant than tradition has led us to picture. 

    God lavishes extravagant beauty on simple, short-lived field flowers. His care for us, designed for eternity with Him, is all the more staggering. 

    The familiar passage is worth stopping to really sit with. If God has this covered, what do we have to worry about?

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  • Out of the Blue – When the unexpected happens

    merlin in crabapple tree

    The robin was suddenly smacked with a bolt out of the blue. A  merlin (a type of small falcon) dropped, seemingly out of nowhere, and knocked it out of the air. They both hit the ground with a thud in front of me, and there was a brief flurry of feathers.

    The strike must have been a little off target as the robin flew away while the merlin flew up into the nearby crabapple tree. It sat there for a few moments, looking a little stunned.

    Score: Robins: one, Merlins: nil. This time.

    Sometimes, life can be like that. We are cruising along, living life as usual, when some major problem hits us out of the blue. There is no warning at all, at least none that we noticed.

    It can come as a job loss, an illness, a marital breakdown, a death in the family, an economic collapse, or any of ten thousand or more different scenarios. Whatever the problem, it leaves us shaken and stunned.

    We wonder what happened. We wonder where God is in the midst of it all. We wonder how, or even if, we will survive.

    We begin to realize that we aren’t as much in control as we had imagined. In truth, there is very little that we do control. We’re not the center of the universe, and not everything falls under our purview. 

    That’s actually a good realization to have, even if we came to it the hard way.

    Jesus spoke on that subject.

    “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, 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. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-31

    Remember when times of testing come (and they will), God is in control. He knew about it before it happened, even if it seems out of the blue to you. 

    We can trust Him, no matter what we face. The outcome might seem uncertain to us, but the one who holds the stars in His hands has our backs.

    Even when circumstances are hard, God is good.

    To paraphrase a Bobby McFerrin song,

    Here’s a little song I wrote

    You might want to sing it note for note

    Don’t worry, trust Jesus.

    In every life we have some trouble

    When you worry you make it double

    Don’t worry, trust Jesus

    Don’t worry, trust Jesus.

    Until next time, no matter what comes your way, remember that God is there for you.

    Kevin

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