Consider the Lilies

Consider the lilies of the field,
How they grow, how they grow.
Consider the birds in the sky,
How they fly, how they fly.

Sometimes life seems so complicated. World problems – pandemics, terrorism, earthquakes, hurricanes, war, injustice… apparently no solutions.

And personally… damaged relationships, broken promises, family problems, insoluble disappointments, incurable illness… more complications.

He clothes the lilies of the field.
He feeds the birds in the sky.
And He will feed those who trust Him,
And guide them with His eye.

Jesus talks about wild flowers… No deep political, philosophical or theological statement. The beauty and detail of the fragile wild flowers… that exist not because they have worked hard, passed exams or won an argument…  

And birds. They don’t have savings for unforeseen and unforeseeable circumstances…

The God who creates the lilies and the feeds the birds is the heavenly Father who cares for me.

Consider the sheep of His fold,
How they follow where He leads.
Though the path may wind across the mountains,
He knows the meadows where they feed.

We move to the picture of the shepherd, the caring expert who knows the terrain his sheep travel over, the meadows they can feed in, the predators that might threaten. The sheep trust the shepherd and follow where he leads them.

Consider the sweet, tender children
Who must suffer on this earth.
The pains of all of them He carried
From the day of His birth.

It is the simplicity of faith, as I trust the Creator of beautiful detail, the simplicity of hope as I believe that He has a purpose for me, and the simplicity of love as I respond to the loving caring Shepherd. And in this simplicity I can handle life’s complexities, and contradictions.

He clothes the lilies of the field,
He feeds the lambs in His fold,
And He will heal those who trust Him,
And make their hearts as gold.