Care for creation

Lilies and Sparrows... That most likely means nothing to you right now, but it will soon. I've been using the phrase "lilies and sparrows" for years now to encourage myself and my wife. Whenever hardship comes up, I say this to myself. To explain why, I encourage you to read Jesus' words in Matthew 6:25-31 and 10:29-31.

Are we not worth more than the lilies and sparrows Jesus mentions in Matthew? Absolutely we are! We have been made in the image of God! Even the language used in the creation account in Genesis 1 speaks to our unique creation. Rather than saying, "Let the earth produce mankind," the format used for the rest of creation, God says, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." This is a direct creation from God, much different than anything that was created prior.

While the plants and animals are associated with the earth or the waters, that is, specific parts of creation, we as humans are associated with God himself. So as much as God cares for the lilies and sparrows, the way we were directly created from God and by God after his image and his likeness speaks to our far-surpassing value to him.

Since God cares so deeply for us, we can have confidence that he will provide for our needs. Our needs and concerns, specifically for food and clothing, are not new. Before the fall, Adam and Eve trusted God to provide for their every need and he did so perfectly. These needs were the first things God addressed after creating Adam.

In Genesis 1, God gave Adam dominion over the animals and plants, in this way addressing his need for food.

In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve were both naked and not ashamed, in this way addressing their need (or lack thereof) for clothing. After the fall, when Adam and Eve realized their nakedness, God himself provided clothing for them.

We are now many years after the fall and yet the Bible makes it perfectly clear that God's care and nurturing of his creation remains, even for such inconsequential creations as lilies and sparrows. What changed after the fall was not God's provision, but instead our faith in God's provision. We don't tend to view worry as a sin but in fact all worry is a lack of trust in God.

Since God is all-powerful and all-loving we can be confident that he has the ability and the desire to take care of us and all our many needs. Indeed, we are of far more value to our Creator than lilies or sparrows! Even in the midst of suffering, we can trust that God is working behind the scenes for His glory and our good.

When you are faced with hardships and difficult trials of life, take a moment and remind yourself of the lilies and sparrows. If God actively cares for and provides for them, he will no doubt care for and provide for you.