◄ What Does Matthew 6:29 Mean? ►

When the Lord tried to get His point across to the disciples, (and to us), He often did it in the simplest of terms, with the use of unimportant, everyday, mundane things. What is more insignificant than a little wayside flower or the grass of the field, and yet Christ used a simple wild lily to demonstrate the gracious care and loving concern our heavenly Father has for each of His blood-bought children.

Jesus challenged His disciples to consider the flowers of the field, because God in His providential goodness and grace adorns each one beautifully, with the most colourful array. "Will He not much more care for you?" is Christ's thought-provoking question. Jesus pointed out that the simple wayside flowers don't sew, they don't spin, they don't till the field or gather-in the harvest, and yet God even cares for their meagre needs. The Lord wanted his disciples to recognise the futility of worry and fretting over the essentials of life, like food, clothing, and shelter.

The Lord Jesus wanted those that believed in Him to truly trust Him in all things. If they had trusted the Lord for their eternal salvation, surely they should have no difficulty in trusting Him in things that are of far less importance than our eternal security. They had come to an understanding that Christ was the Son of the living God, in Whom are the words of eternal life, and had obviously placed a certain amount of faith in God for their eternal future, and Jesus wanted that faith to extend to all things.

The disciples only needed to have a little faith in Christ as their Redeemer to secure their salvation; the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting. Jesus was attempting to show them that if they had trusted Him for their redemption, how foolish, therefore, to become fretful and anxious over their daily needs. No wonder He said to them - "Oh ye of little faith!" Jesus wanted to show that anxiety about their daily needs demonstrated a shocking lack of understanding of the tremendous love the Father has for those that are His children.

Not only was it the simple things Christ used to illustrate His teaching. He also used great exaggeration and extravagant and colourful examples to remind us of our heavenly Father’s never-failing care, His unconditional love, and His superabundant faithfulness towards all His children. Who could be more regal, wealthy, wise, and elevated that the great king Solomon? Who could be grander than Solomon, the great King of Israel, whose wisdom, wealth, majesty, and power exceeded the imagination of all who learned of his greatness? And Christ used this rich and famous king to illustrate His loving care and gracious concern for the needs and necessities of all His children.

By saying that Solomon in all his glory and greatness was not dressed as beautifully as the simple little insignificant wayside flower, was not intended to suggest that God did not care for Solomon - but indicated that our heavenly Father provides for absolutely ALL the needs and necessities of life.  If God takes such care to clothe an insignificant little wild lily, growing at the side of the road – how foolish to allow anxious thoughts to flood our minds. Will He not much more clothe us, and care for His own, sons and daughters?

How often we need to be reminded that He cares for the little things in our lives as well as the big things, and has already provided ALL we need, according to the riches of His grace. How frequently we need to remind ourselves to cast ALL our cares upon Him, for His arms are holding and protecting us and His grace is always sufficient for the task we face - His strength is always made perfect in our weakness. How often we need to remember His loving provision and tender-mercies towards us ALL.

What could seem less significant than a broken reed, a tiny sparrow, a widow’s mite, or a little wayside flower, but God takes and uses such insignificant, everyday, mundane things and then He contrasts them with the opulence of the wisest, wealthiest man that ever lived in order to demonstrate His unconditional love and superabundant grace towards us – reminding us that He knows us personally, loves us unconditionally, and cares for each of us individually.

When the Lord Jesus takes such care to get His point across to us, perhaps we need to take note of what He is saying. He knows our needs and He will provide all we need. He simply wants us to trust His Word, cast our cares upon Him, and not worry.

Loving Father, too often I hand over my problems to You, and then take them back and start to worry again. Thank You for the many reminders in Your Word that You are my Provider, and that Your grace is sufficient for all I face today. Father, today I take each of my cares and every concern and give them all to You. Thank You that Your promises are "yes" and "amen" in Jesus, in Whose name I pray, AMEN.