Consider The Lilies
Text: Matthew 6:28
To the Chinese Lily means "forever in love."
Early Christians viewed the Lily as a symbol of purity.
The first thing we learn from Lilies is that beauty is only temporary.
Though God so beautifies this plant, He also has only given it a very short life span.
Note: He wonderfully decked them out but also called them, "grass of the field," and
spoke of the short life they have.
Beauty is not all it is cracked up to be.
Labor not for the meat that perishes...
The second thing we learn is that God put a lot of care into something He doesn’t care much for,
He uses that as an example of how much care He will put into us. We are not here today and gone tomorrow, we are here forever!
The third thing we learn from Lilies is that there are many renewals in a lifetime.
New leaves, new life in themselves. The purpose of the lily is to beautify the earth, so God gives it color and scent appropriate for the job. Our purpose is to also beautify the earth, God will give us color and scent appropriate for the job.
Renewal is a biblical concept. The bible speaks of times of refreshing.
The bible speaks of renewing the mind.
The bible says Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.
Mount up with wings as eagles. This is not an example of physical strength being renewed, but of spiritual strength being renewed, of mounting up in prayer, mounting up in praise, mounting up in worship, mounting up in zeal, mounting up in fervent devotion, mounting up in love. The lily according to the Chinese means forever in love, is there not a spiritual parallel?
The fourth thing we learn from the lilies they preach a sermon on God’s provision.
They toil nor spin not. This is not an argument against work, but against worry.
The fifth thing we learn from lilies is that God would have us to be an inquisitive people.
Consider the ants.
God wants us to observe the natural to learn of the spiritual. Most animals because they have instinct and not free will, follow the commands of God. They are therefore uncorrupted teachers.
What can we learn? God has given us internal guidance systems. (Swallows)
Jeremiah 8:7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.
Isaiah 1:3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
God would have us to be a thinking people, an investigative people.
The most important question you ever have to answer is what is the Lord saying to you now.
This involves receiving information from many sources and rightly interpreting it.
It is an attempt to explain through prayer one’s circumstances:
My God, My God, even dying he taught the proper attitude toward difficulty - get an explanation.
Close: Prayer for those sensing a need of spiritual renewal, and for those who have been struggling with worry.
