I wish I had a penny for every moment I have wasted in stressing over unmerited worry. You know …the kind of stressful worry that is out of your hands and you have no control over. The kind of worry that robs you of precious time that you can not get back. In Luke 12 we are called to consider the Lilies of the field and compare them to the splendor of a King. That call requires us to stop and think about it….to consider it! Much of the time though we are too busy to stop and give consideration to anything, for even that, takes time in which we often do not feel we have to give; because we are to busy being overwhelmed in our hearts, stressed by every turn of the day, worried and not to mention the dread of tomorrow. Yet, it is that very consideration that can bring relief and comfort to our daily troubles that seek to overtake us and bring us to despair. In the midst of our everyday turmoil, our hearts long for a place of peace, to which we can turn and run to if needed. Life’s good and happy moments can often times leave us feeling like they are slipping by way too fast, while our painful days seem to turn into endless hours. Sometimes, we can race so fast through our day that we are left wondering if there really is a place of refuge instead of the toils and snares of the moment, and the concept of rest and peace seem like nothing more than a hopeful figment of our imagination. Yet Psalm 61:2 tells us that there is a Rock that is higher than we are, and that we are to pray, to be led to it! For it is there that we find the refuge that we seek and the hope of escape from those toils and snares that seek to entangle us.
It is easy for us when we are going down the well-lit path and we are seeing things for what they are. But what about those times that we are trudging through dreary seasons? It is at those very points of time that we are called to consider the lilies. It is God’s way of saying to us, to remember those times of when He was walking with us and we saw Him in the light; then, recall and give consideration to it, for we can still trust Him in the dark even when we may not be able to see that He is there.
Have you ever sat down to write a letter, draw or paint a picture and at some point just wad it up and toss it away because it was not what you were happy with. That is the way we need to deal with our worries that cause us such stress. If we know in our heart that we truly can not change the situation we should begin to view it as an unwanted possession and learn to simply toss it aside, put it out of our minds, replace them with things that the scripture tell us to think upon….whatsoever things are true, good and that build us up….not tare us down. The battle is won when we release the burden and pick up something that brings peace and joy to us in the place of that worry. Once we have learn to do that, we have learned to conquer and cast out our fears, worries and doubts and replace them with peace and contentment.
Recently, I found myself being inundated with fears that caused worry over the potential harm from a situation. I realized that my concern had turned into grief and that grief was throttling any joy or peace that the Lord was wanting me to have. As I considered the scripture concerning the lilies in the valley, I realized that what God was trying in His infinite way of telling me, was that I was like the lily and all that I needed to do was to be still and accept that. If I would realize that I was like the lily knowing who I was in Christ, then I should not waver, nor should I be tossed around in my heart by the fear of not having any control over my heartbreak. Once I realized that and accepted it, peace came in flooding my soul and left me with truth. That truth was the fact that I did have some control over my situation, maybe not for those involved but for myself, I had some control…..by simply covering all the sadness of the situation with prayer in faith believing that God was going to do a great work….WOW…the light of that truth truly set me free. Genesis 15:6 says that Abraham believe the Lord and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness.
You see the only job of the Lilly is to grow and reflect beauty. It does not have to worry over being watered, fertilized, pruned, nor cared for in any way. It simply beholds the beauty of the creator. God longs for us to see ourselves in the same way. His word tells us over and over, that He will care for us, that He will provide for us, He prunes us when we are in need of it and are not reflecting Him. His ground is fertile and we grow from it producing the fruit that is in Him, if we will simply be like the lily and grow in Him and reflect who He is by our lifestyle.
The truths of God are not always easy to understand let alone be obedient to, yet they are the very things that bring us peace and happiness.
Consider the lily....take the time, it will be worth it!
Loving on you today!
Bren
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