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Scripture for the day: Matthew 6:28-30 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?
Thought for the day: That bit of God’s Word makes me want to write about faith and the trust we can have in a good and great God. I just want to encourage everyone with the truth that, though life may throw everything at us including the proverbial kitchen sink, God is still good and He can still be trusted to provide for our ultimate good.
But that’s not really what I was thinking about this morning. “Consider the lilies,” Jesus said. Yes, let’s consider the lilies. How are the lilies of the fields like a man or woman of faith? Or should we better ask; how is a man or woman of faith to be compared to the lilies of the field? Well, let’s think about that for a few minutes. Jesus said, “They neither toil nor spin.” Hmmm, could that mean I shouldn’t have to get up every morning and return to the same old place of business and do the same old things, in the same old way? Yeah! I’m getting it! This is great. Thank you, Lord; my resignation will be handed in by email the first thing in the morning! Bless the Lord, He’s going to put food on my table, clothes on my back and money in my pocket and I don’t have to do a blessed thing. Wow! This is going to be the best rest of my life I could have hoped for. Reality check! That’s not really what Jesus meant, was it?
Now let’s throw that resignation in the trash where it belongs and seriously consider the lilies of the field, shall we? Those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, those who have chosen obedience out of hearts filled with His Spirit are assured of the presence and provision of the God of the universe. They will be like flowers in a bleak and barren desert, brightening everything and everyone around them. They will spread and flourish as they soak in the warmth and light of the Son (yes, I said Son and not sun). Even those not esteemed highly by the world will blossom and shine for the Lord who created them.
Consider for a moment the dandelion. Dandelions are the one flower I know of that most people don’t like. Personally, I think there is little more beautiful than a field full of dandelions in bloom. They form a carpet of bright yellow for no apparent reason other than that they can. These little weeds can go from one plant to a profusion of yellow in one growing season and never seem to be concerned over the challenges they face.
Isn’t it interesting that a flower in your garden is just that, a flower; but a flower in the middle of your lawn suddenly becomes a nasty, invasive weed? Dandelions are ignored or attacked, never nurtured or cared for, and yet they always bloom profusely. They demand no pampering or special attention to yield their bright blossoms; they pop up in fields, in lawns, and between cracks in the sidewalk, even in the best neighborhoods. Can you imagine trying to grow them in a garden? They'd sneak through the boundaries and pop their sunny yellow faces up in the surrounding lawn. They would never stay put!
Christians should be more like dandelions. Our sunny yellow faces should be a reminder that simple faith has deep roots that are impossible to dislodge. Our vast number would show the world that even though we are not fancy or pampered we are evident everywhere, even in the best neighborhoods.
We should be as easily accessible as a dandelion. Jesus is. We need to get out of our gardens and jump across the boundaries that keep us where people expect to find us. We need to show our faces in all the spots that need a little brightening up - the crack in the sidewalk or the lawn of a country club.
Now go take on your world. - Bill