Consider the Lilies of the Field

Trust in God... He Will Provide

Rebecca Nicole Ross

Copyright Information Page

Copyright © 2013 by Rebecca Nicole Ross. All rights reserved worldwide.

No part of this publication may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form without the prior written consent of the author/publisher or the terms relayed to you herein.

All scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Table of Contents

Copyright Information Page

About the Author

Rebecca's Other Books

Introduction

We Are God's Beautiful Creations

"Consider the Lilies" in Day-to-Day Living

"Consider the Lilies" When Life Gets Tough

Applying Bible Teachings to Our Modern World

The Key to Open the Door of Greater Trust in God

Daily Meditation to Increase Trust in God

Conclusion

Rebecca's Other Books

About the Author

My name is Rebecca, and I am a devout Christian.

Boldly proclaiming a belief in Christ and living a Christian life has become harder and harder in our modern world. While the opposition has grown stronger, I have found a greater sense of peace as I have strengthened my relationship with God.

Through daily study, prayer, and meditation, I have found a pathway to feel the love that God has for each of us, and my greatest desire now is to share the message of hope and love with anyone else who wants to draw nearer to God.

I started looking for more truth and hope in my own life, and discovered that I couldn't keep this wonderful message to myself. So, I began typing the lessons that I have been learning, and I truly hope that you find value and hope in these words.

The true principles come from God, I am just a messenger.

I'm not a preacher or a minister or clergy, I don't have any formal training as a religious leader. I don't have a professional education in English or writing. In fact, English was my least-favorite subject in school.

I am an average girl, and a teacher at heart. I am a seeker of true principles and a loyal follower of God.

My goal is to take gospel topics and simplify them, breaking the messages down to their practical form. Complex details and complicated theories can be hard to understand, and even harder to apply... so I like to keep everything simple and straightforward.

My prayer is that you will feel of God's love for you, and know that He wants you to experience peace and happiness in your life.

With love,

Rebecca

Rebecca's Other Books

www.amazon.com/author/rebecca-ross

Evidence of God: 5 Steps to Recognize the Tender Mercies of God in Your Daily Life

Wrestling with God in Mighty Prayer: Especially When You Don't Feel Like Praying at All

Introduction

I remember the moment when I first understood that the term "consider the lilies" was talking about more than just a beautiful field of flowers. It was April, the sun was shining outside and it was one of the warmest spring days of the year. I was sitting on the couch in my front room looking at the blossoms on the tree outside my window.

Despite the wonderful sight of beautiful blossoms and the clear blue sky after a long dreary winter, I was feeling a little down about the day and wondering where my life was going.

At first glance, my life was great: I had an amazing husband, a wonderful family, a comfortable place to live, healthy food to eat, and all of my physical needs were taken care of.

But, emotionally... mentally... spiritually... I felt like something was missing. I had goals and aspirations that hadn't been realized, and my life wasn't matching up to what I'd imagined it would be.

Being a devout Christian, I prayed to God daily, read from my scriptures, paid tithes, and attended Sunday services on a regular basis.

Even though I was doing all of the things that I was "supposed" to be doing, I felt as though I was going through the motions. I wanted to draw closer to God, but felt as though life had hit a plateau, and I kept telling myself that I should be satisfied with what I had.

Logically, I knew that I was blessed with the comforts of modern living. All of my needs were taken care of. But, emotionally I felt as though something were missing, and that I wasn't living up to my full potential.

In that moment on my couch, I shed a few tears and felt disappointment and sadness creep in, not completely understanding why I was experiencing those emotions.

Out of habit, I started flipping through the bible, and found myself reading in the book of Matthew:

Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.

I let my head fall back onto the couch for a moment, and opened my heart in prayer to God, asking what those verses meant, and I was blessed with a glimpse of insight to help me see the pathway forward in my life.

We Are God's Beautiful Creations

"Consider the lilies..."

I had heard the phrase many times before, in church sermons and other religious books and articles. It wasn't anything new or ground breaking. But, my momentary insight into the lesson that was being taught helped me to reframe the way I read those verses, which opened a whole new understanding of what Christ was teaching.

In these chapters in the bible, Jesus Christ was teaching what is commonly known as the "Sermon on the Mount." It is one of the longest pieces of teaching from Christ in the New Testament. Multitudes of people from all around had gathered to hear the words that He had to share with them, and he offered them guidance and hope for their own lives.

I had read the passage of scripture before, but had never given much thought to verse 28 when He says "Consider the lilies..."

I stopped for a moment to read and re-read the verse on its own, and in context of the other verses in that chapter.

Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.

The Greek word for "consider" is interpreted to mean "to closely examine" or take a careful look at.

Christ was in essence telling the multitude of people to "stop to smell the roses," appreciate their beauty, and realize that the gorgeous creations on the earth were all designed by the hand of God. And because God designed those creations, He recognized that they needed sustenance, so the needed elements were provided.

The flowers grew naturally and easily, and God provided for them.

For a little more clarification about the meaning of this verse, let's take a look at the Hebrew meanings of some of the words:

Consider "baqar": reflect, enquire, to seek

Grow "tsamach": sprout, grow up, spring up, grow abundantly

Toil "yaga": be weary, grow weary, labor

If we substitute some of these Hebrew meanings for the words in the verse, it clarifies the message a little more:

Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Reflect on the lilies of the field, how they spring up and grow abundantly; they grow weary not, neither do they spin.

This message is wonderful! We should learn a lesson from the beautiful lilies of the field, if they could talk they would tell us that they naturally spring up and live and abundant life-- without growing weary in their work.

Imagine living your life in a way that you naturally follow a course of happiness and fulfillment, without growing weary of the day-to-day living. It is possible, through Christ!

As you continue reading this scripture passage, there are more insights to glean. Christ points out that other examples of God's creations and how they are provided for:

Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

These two verses show more examples of God's creations, and they grow and thrive in this world without worrying about how their needs will be taken care of. God has provided the tools and resources for them to live, and they naturally go about their existence living their fullest potential.

Both of these verses also make a connection to our existence on this earth:

Verse 26: ... Are ye not much better than they?

Verse 30: ...shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Just like all of the creations on the earth, we are one of God's creations as well. If He takes care of all of His other creations, then He will also take care of us!

So, why do we lack the faith that God will provide for us? He provides for the lilies of the field, fowls of the air, grass of the field, and all of His other creations.

God has the same love for all of His creations, and He has promised that He will provide if we trust in Him. But, sometimes it can be easy to be distracted by other things in life, which can result in lower levels of faith and trust.

It is so easy to become tunnel-vision in this life, and get caught up in the day-to-day activities that need to be done. Too often, I find myself focusing on the things of this world and trying to do it all on my own... forgetting that God has promised that he will take care of all of His creatures, including me!

"Consider the Lilies" in Day-to-Day Living

So, how do we create a life where we trust in God so completely, that we exist in natural abundance without weariness... like the lilies of the field?

Keeping faith strong and trusting God on a daily basis is a constant work in progress. We need to stay vigilant, and always be striving to do better in our lives and develop a stronger relationship with God.

Putting God's work first, and trusting that we will be taken care of is a challenge. But, once this mindset is solidified, it becomes easier because we are able to overcome the tendencies of the natural man.

Christ has promised that if we put aside our worldly concerns, He will take care of us... just like He cares for all of the other creations in the world.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Again, the Hebrew meanings of a few words can help with clarification of the verse:

Seek "shachar": look for diligently, seek earnestly, seek early

Kingdom "mamlakuwth": royal power, dominion, reign

Righteousness "tsedeq": justness, justice, law, rightness, prosperity, deliverance, victory

All "kol": the whole of, everything, totality

Here is the verse again, with the substitutions:

Matthew 6:33 But look for diligently ye first the royal power and dominion of God, and his deliverance and justice; and the whole of these things shall be added unto you.

When we are searching for God in our lives, His power and deliverance and bless us with the everything that we need.

Notice that we need to be diligently searching and seeking God in our lives, a passive effort will not be sufficient.

In the past, I have fallen into the trap of believing that if I do everything "right," then God will take care of me in a way that life will get easier. So, I went through the motions of doing everything that I was supposed to be doing, but I missed the whole point: developing and strengthening my relationship with God.

I was trying to do everything on my own and marking the tasks off my to-do list, expecting life to be perfect after my entire list was completed.

When it didn't work out like I expected, God graciously gave me a little reminder that I needed to trust in Him completely instead of relying on my own abilities. I needed to consider the fact that he created and provided for the lilies of the field, and just like those beautiful creations, He also created me and will provide for me in my time of need.

I was forgetting that my daily living needed to be focused around His will, and instead I was constantly turning inward to focus on my own will.

On that spring day, I realized that I was feeling empty because I was trying to achieve spiritual/emotional/physical success on my own. I thought that I was turning to God, but really I was having a one-way conversation with Him trying to pray in a way that was focused around my own wants (instead of considering what He wanted for me).

I realized that if I wanted to "consider the lilies" and really understand that God would provide for all of my needs, then I needed to be more proactive about building my relationship with Him on a deeper level. I needed to trust Him completely, and show Him that I was committed.

Instead of reacting to my life experiences and turning to God mostly in my times of need, I could be more proactive about approaching Him in sincere prayer on a daily basis-- in the good times as well as the bad times.

My personal circumstances shouldn't affect whether or not I turned to God. I needed to be dependable, and show God that I was trusting Him regardless of the experiences that I had each day.

I needed to show God that I was willing to do everything that was needed to learn of His will for me. In order to gain pure trust in Him, I spent time each day studying the scriptures and praying to Him with a sincere heart.

Instead of simply going through the motions of only opening my scriptures to read a few verses, I prayed for the desire to learn more. I asked God for guidance in my life, and looked for inspiration about how I could draw closer to Him.

As I have been applying these principles in my daily living, I've found that God has opened my heart and mind to new ways of thinking and it has become easier to trust in Him.

Through my own experiences, I've learned that anyone can develop a strong trust in God. He is our Heavenly Father, and he wants us to trust in Him as a child would trust their father.

"Consider the Lilies" When Life Gets Tough

Trusting in Him means that I should remember that all things are for my good. It doesn't mean that life is always going to be easy. In fact, we should expect to run into difficult times, and those trials will help us to learn and grow.

Sometimes the trials are more apparent to the eye: health problems, broken relationships, or financial struggles.

Other times, trials may be hidden beneath the surface, out of plain sight: addictions, depression, fear, or grief.

Regardless of the difficulty that we are facing, we can overcome those trials by trusting in God. Those difficult times are the moments when it is most critical that we are turning to Him, and looking for guidance to find the hope and love that He has to offer.

He wants us to be successful.

He wants us to grow closer to Him.

He wants to overcome our weaknesses.

He wants us to be strong and confident.

He wants us to look for the good things in life.

He wants us to progress and grow.

He wants us to live up to our full potential.

It is necessary for us to put our full trust in God in order to experience all of the blessings that He has to offer us.

I truly believe that God has given us weakness to humble us, so that we will draw closer to Him. Through these weaknesses, we learn to turn to Him... because we understand that we can't do it on our own.

Our full potential can only occur through the grace and mercy of God, through the atonement. When we seek the kingdom of God first, we will be strengthened through His atonement and He will provide for our needs.

Drawing nearer to God everyday humbles our heart, allowing Him to teach, guide, and inspire us. He can show us how our full potential can be achieved through Him, and help us to make more of ourselves than we could ever do on our own.

In order to be worthy of all of the blessings that God has to offer, we need to cast our cares upon Him. He is aware of every struggle we face, He knows that there are lessons we need to learn from those struggles, and He will guide and protect us if we turn to Him.

Applying Bible Teachings to Our Modern World

During the Sermon on the Mount, Christ was speaking in a way that the multitudes could relate to His words. These people were living in a situation where they were working and struggling daily to find their food, clothing, and sustenance.

This message told them to give no thought to their immediate needs, and trust in God that He would provide.

What does the message mean for us in our modern world? Because you are reading this message from a computer, smartphone, or tablet, it is likely that you live in a part of the world where it is not a struggle to find clothing or food.

Even if things have been difficult, there are welfare resources available in many parts of the world, providing food and clean water to the people in the area that are in need.

Modern conveniences have made it easier for our immediate needs to be taken care of, and many people in first-world countries no longer wonder where their next meal will come from. Government assistance programs, church welfare, food banks, and soup kitchens work to distribute food to those in need.

In fact, many people are blessed to have many additional things that make life even easier: a comfortable living space, a warm bed to sleep in, and extra food in the pantry and fridge.

These conveniences aren't available to every person living on the earth at this time, but if you are reading a Kindle book then it's likely that you are living in an area where your immediate needs are taken care of.

But, because we can eat everyday and we have clothing to wear, our modern day struggles show up in a different way.

We may have our immediate, physical needs taken care of... and the trials and struggles come in the form of emotional and spiritual hardships.

The people of the bible may have been wondering where their next meal would come from, or how they were going to feed their children this week.

Our modern worries may be more focused around things such as retirement savings, long-term job stability, our relationship with our spouse, teachings our children principles of truth, facing health challenges that prevent us from working, or any number of other concerns that we may have.

These modern worries are real, and God can help us overcome our own struggles and concerns. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Sometimes I have those moments when the worry creeps into my life, for one reason or another. These worries often include things such as the fact I haven't been as successful as I wanted to be, concern about my health or the health of someone that I love, my retirement savings isn't as big as I need, or that I don't enjoy my job as much as I should.

I'm sure you can relate to having some type of worry or concern in your life. God wants us to let go of those worries, and understand that He will provide (even if we cannot clearly see the pathway forward).

These are all times when it is absolutely crucial to turn to God, trust in Him, and understand that He will provide no matter what happens in life.

God exists in a state of richness and abundance, and those blessings are available to us if we trust in Him.

Our lesson is that we should not be striving for the worldly possessions in this life, instead we should strive to choose to walk in Christ's path. Follow His example, trust Him, love our neighbors, provide service to the people around us, and do everything that we can to be sure we are living a life within the true principles of God.

Some people read the verses in the bible, and make the conclusion that because the lilies don't need to work to receive care, then we don't need to work to have our needs taken care of. Don't fall into this trap of false thinking... because we need to do the best that we can on our own, and through mercy and grace God will make up for our weaknesses and support us in the areas where we fall short.

Remember that faith without works is dead. We need have faith that God will provide, and take action to do all the things that we are able to do.

As we move forward in faith and act upon the true principles, our faith will continue to grow and flourish... which in turn deepens our trust in God.

Saint Augustine shared wise words when he said:

"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."

I love this quote, and think about it often. It reminds me that I cannot do everything on my own, so I need to trust in God. But, asking for help in prayer doesn't mean that I should stop trying to figure it out on my own.

The Key to Open the Door of Greater Trust in God

As I have pondered this lesson, and tried to apply it in my life, I have found that there is one thing that helps me to build my foundation of trust in God:

Gratitude

This concept isn't new, we often hear that we need to be grateful for the things that we have been blessed with. But, don't dismiss this principle just because you have heard it before.

It is essential that we are grateful for the blessings that God provides to us. Why would He bless us with more abundance if we aren't grateful for what we already have?

The best way to live a life of gratitude is to spend time recognizing those things that you have been blessed with.

Every day, take a few minutes to thank God for the things that He has given you. Find the little moments, and savor the tender mercies that are offered.

Offer thanks for the warm bed that you slept in last night, the meal that you enjoyed today, the beautiful sunshine outside, and the hugs and kisses from your children as they ran out the door this morning. Find those small moments that bring happiness and joy into your life, and offer thanks to God for those blessings.

I like to spend a few minutes alone at night, to count my blessings for the day. Recognizing my blessings helps me to go to bed with a grateful heart, and I awake with a better outlook in the morning.

Developing a heart of gratitude will naturally help you to find ways to draw closer to God, to serve and lift other people around you, and to have a humble heart.

Daily Meditation to Increase Trust in God

When I am learning a new principle, I have personally found it to be beneficial to focus several days on study and meditation around that specific topic. A minimum of seven days of meditation and study is a great way to solidify the message, and help me to learn how to apply the principles in my life.

I encourage you to spend the next few days pondering on these messages, and focusing on the ways that you can strengthen your trust in God.

For each day, spend some time reading in the Bible, and specifically look for scriptures on the topic of trusting God. As you search the scriptures for answers, they will come alive with inspirational messages that fit in with your personal situation.

Read each scripture several times, and let the meaning go deep into your heart. Know that God has blessed us with these verses to help in times of uncertainty, struggle, and even joy.

As you are pondering on the verses each day, spend a few moments journaling about your current progress. List your successes and areas for improvement.

Write down a minimum of five things that you are grateful for, and spend a few moments to soak up the gratitude and recognize that you have many blessings in your life.

And don't forget to pray! Spend time each day talking with God about your thoughts, ideas, concerns, happiness, and anything else that comes to mine. Ask Him for help with the things that you need, and He will be there to support you along the way.

Conclusion

I hope that you enjoyed this short message, and that you are able to apply it in your life-- that you may feel of the love that God has for you.

I know in my heart that God is our Heavenly Father, and that He cares for us on a level that our mortal minds can't even comprehend. He wants to provide for our needs, and He wants us to learn and grow through our trials.

I challenge you to trust in Him, look for ways to grow closer to Him each day and He will take care of you and show you the pathway forward.

If you enjoyed the message in this book, I invite you to take a moment and share your review on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Consider-Lilies-Field-Provide-ebook/dp/B00CO6DH8A

It is important to me that you enjoy my books, so I am continually working to improve my work. If you find typos, content problems, or errors, please feel free to email me the details at: Rebecca@RebeccaNRoss.com

With love,

Rebecca

Rebecca's Other Books

www.amazon.com/author/rebecca-ross

Evidence of God: 5 Steps to Recognize the Tender Mercies of God in Your Daily Life

Wrestling with God in Mighty Prayer: Especially When You Don't Feel Like Praying at All

Table of Contents

About the Author

Introduction

We Are God's Beautiful Creations

"Consider the Lilies" in Day-to-Day Living

"Consider the Lilies" When Life Gets Tough

Applying Bible Teachings to Our Modern World

The Key to Open the Door of Greater Trust in God

Daily Meditation to Increase Trust in God

Conclusion