One of my great joys is tending my garden. This past week, our daylilies and Asiatic lilies have been at their peak, painting our backyard with every color of the rainbow. That beauty coupled with the sweet aroma is truly a revelation of God’s glory. It brings to mind Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:28-29 (RSV).
“…Consider the lilies of the field, 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.”
Jesus uses a very specific action-word in this verse, consider, which suggests to me that we should look around at the beauty of our surroundings that God created for us and ponder that blessing. We are to not merely look at it with a passing glance but to think about the magnificence of His creation. As a nature photographer, I am very privileged to see, experience, capture and share His splendor throughout the seasons. I do not take that blessing for granted, and I try to use my gift of photography to serve Him.
We each have a season to serve. The lily has a very short season to show the glory He intended it to show. Our season is a little longer; however, it is still short in the realm of eternity. Lilies get a “do-over” each year. However, we only get one shot at living the life He intended for us to live. The length of our individual seasons is in His hands.
We only have so long to put our trust totally in Him. Later, in Verse 6:33, Jesus tells us, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” The concept of being clothed in righteousness may seem strange to some, maybe many. It did to me at one time. I have come to understand it means being God-centered not self-centered like I was most of my life. Once Jesus resides in your heart, your entire perspective changes, to one of using the gifts you have to serve Him versus your own pleasure. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself. I have greater joy today than ever, and from a worldly perspective my life was pretty good, but, nothing compared to the past few years. I’m not perfect. I’m still a work in progress. However, I’m now totally focused on revealing God’s glory. Because of it, prayer, group Bible studies, and church, my faith grows daily. And as a dear friend would often say, “it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Feature images: © Alan Tucker | Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
