God's Garden - Pt. 1

 

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.” (Luke 12:22-31 ESV).

 

Today’s reading gives me a starting point in which I may encourage and affirm each of us in our daily lives. It is typically used to exhort others to refrain from worry and anxiety. However, I want to begin by looking at a reference of Jesus tucked in the midst of this teaching about “God’s Garden.” Notice His reference to the “lilies of the field”. They are beautiful, “yet they neither toil nor spin” (v. 27). God simply made them beautiful! That’s our beginning point today.

 

The picture attached today is taken in the spring of the year at Cades Cove, which is nestled in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Those of you who know me also know this is an annual spot for Mary and I. While I did not take this photo I have seen this display of God’s creative wonder many times. I have often wanted to duplicate this display in my own gardens. Of course that has not been accomplished. My “green thumb” is really more “tea green” (which is recognized as the lightest shade of green known). Mary’s dad, Bruce Perry, was a professor of horticulture at Texas A&M and responsible for the development and breeding of many varieties of tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables, notably including the Vidalia Onion. He could grow anything. While he tried to instruct me, I was not a good student!

 

My interest did run deep, however. In large part that was because Jesus used many examples from nature to make important points in his teaching. As Jesus sits on a mountainside teaching his fickle followers and the distractible crowd, his sharp eyes light on the splendor of nearby wild flowers. Considering them, Jesus makes a stunning comparison that produces a simple and profound life lesson. In God’s garden, fretting and wearisome work are not only unnecessary but are actually a counter-productive insult flung in the face of our caring Creator. If God renders such beauty from nature, will he not care for you? In the following days, we’ll follow Jesus’ counsel to “consider” how we grow and are being formed in God’s garden. Although you may not feel at home in an actual garden, the beauty and glory of life have deep roots in our souls, which need to find their home in the Lord.