Consider the lilies of the field...

Hello my beautiful readers. Today I happened to glean in a certain field and stumbled upon a lily field. It was there that I found a challenge for you and for me, not just for 2010 but for all our days.

Let’s first read from Matthew 6:25-30:
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry 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, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Consider the lilies of the field, as I gave thought to this phrase I contemplated how different my life would be if I were a lily. The lilies do not worry (I do) nor do they take matter into their own hands (I do this too). The lilies allow God to be their all in all. As I reflected on the lily or any flower I considered their positions, either raised up as if worshipping their Creator or prostrated as in submission or adoration to their Master. How beautiful that dependence is.

So it got me thinking of Colossians 3:2-3 that says “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” As I visualize my life hidden in Christ, I imagine being wrapped by God, reminiscent of the petals on a flower. I think Isaiah 61:10 says it best, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” We are hidden with Christ in God and He has clothed us with garments of salvation (how cool is that) and the robe of righteousness (thank you Jesus!). Why then do we insist on not trusting Him completely, with EVERY area of our lives?

In Isaiah 5:1-6, we read of a vineyard built on a very fruitful hill. The vinedresser dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes (verse 2). How terrible I thought, as I read this passage thinking of this poor vinedresser. And then, it hit me. How many times has the Lord provided for me, cleansed me, planted me in the right place and expected me to bear Him good grapes but instead I repayed Him with bad ones. I don’t want to deal with just unbelief, lack of trust or worry but also with disobedience, rebellion, covetousness, envy, gossip, addictions and my list can go one. I need to keep myself on check. I am considering the lilies of the field, and considering that my life is hidden with Christ in God. He has clothed me with His Spirit and like this vineyard He has a planted me on a very fruitful hill (His Word).

I pray that this year and all the days of your life you may bear good grapes unto the Lord. Consider the lily in Sgs 2:2, who was a lily among thorns. Set out to be that woman whose trust is the Lord God (Jeremiah 17:7). May you know Him as God Almighty as you surrender to Him every are of your life.
God Bless You and thank you for reading
Raquel