Matthew 6:28 — “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
The Bible often uses flowers as an image of beauty, growth, and life. Although very few species of flowers are specifically mentioned throughout the Scriptures, the Sermon on the Mount was an occasion where Jesus referred to the lilies. Especially during the springtime, Palestine comes alive with a riotous display of over 2,000 varieties of plants and wildflowers! While Jesus only mentioned the lily, the fields are literally covered in a rainbow of brilliant beauty.
Flowers, while beautiful, are also somewhat frail and transitory – much like human life. Remember those flowers we mentioned in Palestine? After a few weeks, they die down into piles of dead leaves and blooms, and for another season the land lies empty and desolate – until the next Spring! While the flowers in many of these references symbolize beauty and life, they also convey to us something about the perishable nature of man, God’s comfort to us, and His care for us.
There are several lessons for us to see here, as Jesus was presenting us with another parable – The Parable of the Lily. First, His primary message to us is to be at peace, not anxious for anything. That gorgeous lily He pointed out didn’t do a single thing to produce a bloom and fragrance! It didn’t lie in the field stressing and straining to grow leaves and blossoms! It simply rested in the place where the Creator had planted it, waiting for the right time to begin to grow when all the conditions were just right. Second, even though the blooms seem to fade away and die, there will be another season of blooming for the bulbs hiding in the place of waiting.
Today you may find yourself in a time of waiting, waiting, waiting. You may feel as though you’ve produced every bloom and every bit of wonderful beauty that you’re ever going to produce. Your life may appear empty and desolate like those fields when the flowers are gone. The truth is that the seeds and bulbs of life are still waiting in your heart. Nothing about your life is a surprise to God, even when you feel like it’s faded away.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that He has plans and has already created things He wants us to do. God wants you to get where He wants you to be more than you want to get there!! Maybe you need to read that again! He has planted you exactly where you are at this moment, and the new blooms will surely reappear in your life. He is busy behind the scenes orchestrating your life situations to give you amazing opportunities to thrive. You don’t need to strain or labor in order to produce them. Simply wait in the place where He’s planted you, listen to His voice, and the beautiful blooms will appear.
As always, your comments are welcome, and you can email me at sheryl@freshhope.us
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