Considering the lilies: Living the Lily Life of Faith

"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the  grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!  And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.                                        (Luke 12:27-29 NASB)

The lily series has continued a little longer than I expected, but we're winding down. We began this series by considering the lily bulb. In case you missed any part of the series, you can click on the links to catch up. We've also considered lily propagation,  lily's disposition, true lilies and the importance of the name, and the importance of planting the lily bulb deep in the ground.  Yesterday, we looked at the different varieties of lilies.

Today, we return to the original passage. "Consider the lilies," Jesus said, "And how they grow." You may remember the information about how lilies grow. They can grow from seed, form scaly bulbs, grow a single tall stem and produce fragrant, showy flowers. 

Jesus would also have us take note of how lilies don't grow. They don't toil, they don't spin, they don't worry, yet their "clothing" is breathtaking in beauty. "Not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these." It would be hard to dress ourselves in the beauty with which God clothes the lilies. 

Lilies and the grass of the fields have an extremely short lifespan. At most, the lily flower lasts a few days. When the bloom is spent, it's treated as trash and thrown away. The brevity of its life does not diminish its value. God still provides for the lilies, still clothes them in beauty.

If God clothes the lilies, don't you know He will take care of you? 

This discussion between Jesus and his disciples began when a man asked Jesus to intervene in his inheritance. Jesus saw his question as an indication of greed and He reminded his listeners, a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Life is not about your money. You can't take it with you. 

Life is so much more than you think.

Don't worry about what you'll eat. Don't worry about what you'll drink. Don't worry about anything. Your Heavenly Father can handle this. Quit worrying. 

Jesus went on to say, "Seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you." It's a matter of priority, of faith, of trust. If we stop chasing material things and start chasing the things of God,  we will experience the faithfulness of God in an amazing way. 

This is a promise. We can count on it. 

This trusting when I don't see how God can provide requires deep faith. It requires deep obedience. You and I have to stop living in panic mode and start living in faith mode. We have to adopt the faith of Jehoshaphat.  When a triple-army (Moab, Ammon, and Meunites) was coming to attack the nation of Judah, King Jehoshaphat turned to the only One who could deliver.

"For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." 2 Chronicles 20:12 NASB

You and I need a lot less "I can handle this" and a lot more "my eyes are on You" if we are to live this life of faith we say we want. We need less seeking of our own solutions and more seeking God's solution. 

Life is more than we think. It is so much more, but we are content with so little. We surround ourselves with material things and call it wealth, but it's not. What God wants for us is Himself. He is the treasure we should seek. He is what make life rich. 

I want a lily life. 

Lilies spend their lives doing the work God has given them to do, putting the beautiful provision of God on display in their blooms, dependent on Him to provide. Just to be clear, lilies spend their entire lives doing the work God has assigned them. The lily life is by no means a life of leisure, but it is a life of joy. Of faith. Of promise.

We, too, can live like the lilies, but only if we start by seeking Him first. So let's take stock of our lives. Are we living like lilies? If not, let's begin by seeking God first. Do the work God has assigned us. Put His bountiful provision on display by the lives we live. 

Live like the lilies. 

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Our Father in Heaven, forgive us for seeking everything except You. Forgive us for accumulating the wealth of this world and missing that of the next. Help us to seek You first, to follow You. Help us to have the life You meant us to have. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Considering the Lilies: Planting Deep

"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the  grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!                                            (Luke 12:27-28 NASB)

In case you're just stopping in, we've been considering the lilies for the last few days. We began by considering the lily bulb,  lily propagation, and lily's disposition. Yesterday, we explored the question of true lilies and the importance of the name. Today, we're looking at the planting of lilies.

I don't recommend this, but I often use the "plant and wonder" technique. I stick a plant or bulb in the ground and wonder what it will do. The reason I have to wonder is because I haven't bothered to find out what kind of environment the plant needs. Does it need sun or shade, moist soil or well-drained? Does it want to be planted deep or shallow? I killed more than a few plants before I realized a sun-loving plant would not perform as expected if I tried to make it survive in the shade.

Lily bulbs have specific depth requirements in order to grow and produce the beautiful blooms we desire. Lily bulbs must be planted deep in the ground. The recommended depth is three times the diameter of the bulb. (1) At depth, the bulb remains cool and is well-protected. The bulb thrives there. In fact, the roots are contractile and will pull the bulb to the proper depth if planted too shallow.

Shallow is easy, but depth brings growth.

It's true for lilies, but it's also true for disciples of Christ. If I am to follow Jesus, I will follow best if I know Him well.  I will explore His depths. Allow Him to take me deeper in the Word of God, and in obedience, than I planted myself.

Can you truly follow Jesus and be shallow about it? I wonder.

Attending services, saying a blessing before meals, and posting Scripture memes on social media do not indicate depth (although prayers and assembling with other believers are actions Jesus expects of us and are not optional). If attendance and rote prayers before meals are all we have, however, it's a shallow kind of faith.

A deep faith says, "Lead me anywhere and I'll follow."

A deep faith loves every single person God loves, which is EVERYONE.

A deep faith serves anyone Christ calls us to serve.

A deep faith bears anything for Jesus.

A deep faith studies the word of God, allowing Him to plant it in us. To plant it deep in us (that's where memorizing comes in) so that we have it when we need it. 

A deep faith bears fruit.

  Here's a secret it took me entirely too many years to learn. A deep faith is exciting and fun and so intimate it's unbelievable.

When that Still Small Voice whispers, it's the most amazing thing in the world.

We don't start deep, but that's where the good stuff grows. If we want to know as much as possible of this big God we serve, we must plant ourselves deep, too. How? Spend time in prayer, listening and talking, studying Scripture and obey it. All of it.

The amazing thing about the Christian life is that, if we want to be deep in our faith, the Holy Spirit will act much like the contractile root of the lily, drawing us deeper. If we ask for deep faith, God will supply it. If we ask for a deep knowledge of Him, He'll supply that, too. 

So ask. Ask for deep faith. Deep knowledge of God. Deep knowledge of Scripture. Ask, then do what it takes to have it. Open your Bible. Obey.

You'll love it in the deep. That's where all the wonders hide. All the gems and treasures.

Deep calls to deep.

Let the depths of God call you to the deep.

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Our Father, I don't want superficial. I want to know Your depths, to follow where You lead, to have all of You that You want me to have. To know You more. So teach me Your ways, lead me in Your paths. Make me like You. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

(1) http://gardening.about.com/od/bulbs/a/Growing_Lilies.htm
photo from freeimages.com
chart from blog.gardenheights.com

Considering the lily and it's bulb

freeimages.com # 1199018

"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the  grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!                                            (Luke 12:27-28 NASB)

"Consider the lilies," Jesus told his disciples. Today, we do exactly that.

My grandmother had lilies in her yard and I've always loved them. They are relatively trouble-free, low-maintenance flowers that grow from bulbs. The bulb requires more depth than most seeds so that roots can be formed to support the tall plant. Lilies forms basal roots at the base of the bulb, as well as adventitious roots above the bulb near the surface of the soil. Both are essential to anchor the plant. The longer the plant lives, the more adventitious roots will form.

The bulb doesn't look like much, does it? From this small bulb, a large and very beautiful, showy flower can grow. Without the roots, however, the flower will be of little value because the stem will be unable to get the nutrients needed to produce the flower. Without roots, the stem cannot stand upright. Once the stem begins to grow out of the bulb, the adventitious roots will form to help anchor the plant. Every root is essential. 

In our lives, that same principle holds true. Without Christ, we can do nothing of significance. When our lives are grounded and rooted in Him and His word, however, we can grow to be all He intended us to become. Bible study and Scripture memory are not optional if we are to become strong and fruitful. 

Lily roots have another interesting characteristic. They are contractile. The roots of the lily pull the bulb down to the appropriate depth for it to grow and bear flowers. We, too, need to have contractile roots that pull us to the appropriate depth of faith in Christ so that we can follow in the manner He intended. 

Roots are the first sign of life for a lily, and the most important. It's the same for the new believer. We must be intentional about forming roots by studying and learning what God expects of us as followers. But are we? Today, let's pause to examine the roots of our relationship with Christ. Are they shallow and superficial so that we fall easily when trouble comes? Do we have deep roots that sustain our lives no matter what happens? Are we forming more roots as time goes by or relying on the roots that have already formed?

Let's be intentional about root formation by studying our Bible, memorizing Scripture, spending time in prayer and meditation on the Scripture we have studied. Only when we have the roots we need can we become the plant God intended.

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Our Father, thank you for your perfect design of bulb and root and flower. Help me to do what is needed to grow roots to anchor me in my faith so I can become what you intended me to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.