Consider the Lilies

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:22–34
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Consider the Lilies
There was a time in our church body when buying insurance was looked down upon. It was seen as a sign of not trusting in God to provide and protect. Today that is no longer the case, we even have “Lutheran” insurance companies. And even if the idea was misguided, it did come from a place of trust. For too many people these days the only things they trust in are earthly things. The government, their insurance companies, their own knowledge. All this will eventually let them down. Jesus encourages His disciples to trust in God, their heavenly Father, since He will provide for all their needs. We need to take this counsel to heart, for our fallen nature makes it impossible to look past ourselves and depend on another. But God’s faithfulness far exceeds our needs. He provides as He sees fit, giving us an abundance that we may share with others. May we never stop trusting in God to provide and therefore give to others out of the abundance of God’s great gifts and always be reminded that it is better to give than to receive.