Last week we saw that we have to be
like an ox for God. We have to be strong, loyal, hardworking,
groundbreakers, dedicated to Him and Him alone. God wants us to
till the ground for Him and to be exemplary in our actions for
Him.
The oxen as we saw were the footing
on which the sea of bronze stood. But interestingly the brim of the
sea was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. Now I
don't know about you, but a lily is in stark contrast to an ox for
me. But therein lies the beauty. A lily immediately made me think
of Matthew 6:28, 29:
"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 as one of these."
God looks after the lilies. Let us
take a closer look at lilies. Have you ever seen a lily frantic and
stressed out that it will not get enough water or nutrition? Have
you ever seen a lily trying to be a cactus? Have you ever seen a
lily seeking fame? The answer goes without saying. Lilies just are
who they were created to be. And even Solomon, the richest man who
ever lived, was not as beautifully clothed as they.
What should this say to us? We must
follow the example of the lily. Even though God wants us to be like
oxen - hardworking, strong, loyal, groundbreakers, He also wants us
to know that we must do all these things, but without the stress,
like a lily. We shouldn't try to be someone we are not, we
shouldn't seek fame and we certainly shouldn't stress. If God has
placed something on your heart, don't worry about how it all will
come to pass. Simply follow His Voice, trust Him to lead you and to
guide you. God has so many plans for us, He knows our strengths and
weaknesses, our likes and dislikes and He will use it for His
glory. We should simply be ourselves and follow Him. That is all.
The rest is in His hands. He will lead and guide you; He will show
the way and open the right doors. He will do it and look after you,
for you are much more valuable to Him than a lily.
Therefore breathe in deeply.
Breathe in the new life that He has blessed you with and breathe
out all the futility of this world. Do this a couple of times and
see how you are breathing in heavenly air and breathing out this
world. Then go out and do what you must do, then just be and allow
Him to take over.
Thank you Father that You have a
specific plan for us. We rejoice in that plan and we look forward
to that plan materializing. We will go out and do our best and
leave the rest to You. May You be glorified every step of the way!
Amen