CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD

[joaniemarie]

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[TD]“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.[/TD]
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[TD="align: center"]Matthew 6:28–29[/TD]
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[TD]- MAY 14 -

CONSIDER THE LILIES OF THE FIELD

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You may think that you must work very hard to provide for yourself and get ahead in life. But God wants you to consider the lilies of the field—they do nothing. They toil not, spin not and struggle not. Yet, they grow and are clothed by God while simply resting and basking in the sunshine of God’s love! And when God clothes them, they look even more glorious than King Solomon, the richest king who ever lived.


Like the lilies of the field, God wants you to let Him take care of providing for your material needs, instead of you striving to do it yourself. When you let go and let Him, you will see Him bless you supernaturally, abundantly and generously!


This is what happened to one of our church members who had been looking for a job. Initially, he received only two calls for interviews after sending out 12 résumés. Refusing to be discouraged, he believed that God wanted to bless him not just with a job, but with a position of influence too.


God was faithful. This church member soon became the business manager of an engineering company even though he had no engineering background. He was offered a very attractive remuneration package and within his first week on the job, was asked to quote on two projects.


He knew that this was God’s doing because it was difficult enough just to secure an appointment with contract managers to discuss projects, let alone be asked to quote on not one but two projects. Before long, he was offered the position to run the entire Singapore subsidiary with only one other business development manager. He was then only 25 years old!



My friend, God can do for you what He did for this person. Just believe that if God clothes the lilies and grass of the field, which are here today and gone tomorrow, how much more will He clothe you, His eternal and precious child, with beauty and favor! All He asks is that you cease from your striving, allow Him to take over and just flow with Him

Destined To Reign Devotional J.Prince

 

[BenFTW]

[video=youtube;MKmq7L0d0wY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKmq7L0d0wY[/video]

A cool animation, in line with your post. Animation starts at 3:16.

 

[notuptome]

Ge 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

No free lunch.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[joaniemarie]

This testimony in the devotional is a lot like mine. But I had NO marketed skills or abilities to get a good job. Just looking at myself and my lack of skills and or other abilities.... there was just nothing to make me employable.

There are a few threads going on in the Bible study forum that really interest me. One of the 5 is about miracles. Some believe miracles are more about seeing the Red Sea parted or watching a limb grow before our eyes when someone lost theirs in a farming accident.

But for me., living my daily life is a miracle of the same magnitude as those others. One poster said he considered it a miracle that God would even look at us. I agree! Why He would care about us and put His love upon us is a miracle IMO too.

It's a miracle forinstance that simply because we would dare to trust Jesus., He WILL save us. This is not only for salvation but while traveling here on this planet as believers. We daily deal with day to day challenges., and the possibilities that some of the horrors here on earth would and could and can., and do come to our lives.

How do we believers cope? Some believe once we have a miracle occur we would be so "spiritual" that we would never fall flat on our faces again. We actually believe once a person is strong in the Lord that they will always be strong. But that is not true., it takes a daily choice to walk out our faith.

I seriously see the truth that I can't rest on yesterdays bread. I need to come to the Word (bread) and feed my soul today or become weak.

Today's devotional says to do something... to "consider" That means to me I'm to think on it today. The Bible says that Jesus said in Matt.6:28-29 "why do you worry about your clothing? CONSIDER the lilies of the field how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, and YET I say to you that even Solomon is all his glory was not arrayed like one of these"


Humanly speaking- us believers (and I've seen it countless times) come to this verse and stick all kinds of stipulations and conditions on it for US to meet. And then the simplicity of what Jesus is saying is LOST.

Trusting Jesus IS the condition. Being still and knowing He is God IS the condition. He THEN motivates us to do things. It's Him who works in us both to WILL AND TO DO OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE. Phil.2:13

[SUP]12 [/SUP]Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, [SUP][c][/SUP]with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
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13 [/SUP][Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while [SUP][d][/SUP]effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and [SUP][e][/SUP]delight.


I've learned over the years that this "working out" our salvation is working "OUT" what Jesus has already worked "IN" us. We have all we need in Him., and He is ALWAYS in us.

2 Peter 1:3

[SUP]2 [/SUP]May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is [SUP][a][/SUP]perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and [SUP][b][/SUP]freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, [SUP][c][/SUP]precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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3 [/SUP]For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [[SUP][d][/SUP]full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).
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4 [/SUP]By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.


Many of us believers look around at the things going on in the world or even in our own very personal lives. Often times I get into the trap of considering my life limited here. I see very limited possibilities and then can get completely stuck. But the miracle is faith in Jesus un-sticks me. It frees believers to move forward to do what He has called us to do.

He not only calls us but He also gives us all we need (equips us) to do the job He puts before us. With man this is IMPOSSIBLE. But with God all things are possible. So instead of "considering" my many lacks and failures., I'm daily challenged by the Word to train my mind to instead "consider" how Jesus takes care of even the unseen lilies and the birds... And then to believe He loves us much more than those things.

This is what His love and grace is all about. We don't deserve it., can't earn it., are not worthy in ourselves for it.... But we HAVE IT ALREADY IN CHRIST JESUS.

And unless I CONSIDER this., it won't happen. Unless this truth is acted upon by faith., it won't be a part of my day. Unless I consider these truths my mind will not be renewed into thinking on them and they will be missed.

"

 

[joaniemarie]

Thank you Ben for posting that! I've never seen that video before but very much relate to that leper. Jesus can change what we thought was IMPOSSIBLE into something totally different. That is what He does. He makes all things possible.

(((((((HUGS))))))) Ben!!

"

 

[GracethroughfaithinChrist]

1 Thessalonians 2:9
Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

 

[joaniemarie]

1 Thessalonians 2:9
Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

Interesting verse in light of the admonishion from Jesus to; "CONSIDER" Are these admonishions in opposition to one another? Or is there a right interpretation found? I say there is a right interpretation found and it's about "faith" and resting in the finished work of Jesus.

So why do you worry about clothing? CONSIDER the lilies of the field how they grow; they NEITHER TOIL nor spin, and YET I say to you that even Solomon in all his glorey ws not arrayed like one of these"

Also., I think of Hebrews as well that says there is a REST for the people of God. Hebrews 4:


[SUP]9 [/SUP]So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for the [true] people of God;
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10 [/SUP]For he who has once entered [God’s] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as God rested from those labors [SUP][f][/SUP]peculiarly His own.
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11 [/SUP]Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].
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12 [/SUP]For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [SUP][g][/SUP]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
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13 [/SUP]And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.
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14 [/SUP]Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].
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15 [/SUP]For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
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16 [/SUP]Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

 

[joaniemarie]

And how does this "rest" play out in our day to day lives as believers? Does it mean we sit around and be lazy slobs? No., not at all. It means we "strive" each day to enter into HIS rest. The kind of rest that doesn't worry about it's earthly lot because that born again believer knows it is by God's hand that they are surviving., not by their own or someone elses.

Our dependence is on Him and not ourselves. Just like how we got saved., that is how we live each day. Are we in need of peace? Go to God in Jesus name and rest in His provision for that peace because Jesus is our peace.

How does that work out in having clothing and shelter? I've discovered it means total dependence on Him for opportunities for work and finances. Not dependence on me and my abilities or lack of them.

And when God brings opportunities our way we will enjoy the fruits of our labor. We will have the joy and satisfaction of a job well done. We will have security because it's a security that is not dependent on us but on Him. And He is never tired., He never slumbers or sleeps. Amen!

 

[tanakh]

I wonder how many fashion Designers are in Heaven. Should Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham change careers?

 

[joaniemarie]

I wonder how many fashion Designers are in Heaven. Should Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham change careers?

Not sure what being a fashion designer has to do with considering the lilies of the field as a believer.... UNLESS they are believers in Christ... then they can design to the glory of God.