by Lenore Buth
How can we get through this time when questions flood our minds night and day?
Give your mind and your spirit a break. Feast your eyes on God's handiwork.
This shot was taken one spring day several years ago in a California canyon somewhere near San Luis Obispo. (Photographer unknown.)
Could there be a better visual for what Jesus said in Luke 12:27?
“Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
The One who clothes these remote hills with extravagant beauty tenderly cares for all His creation. That includes you and me.
Even with Covid-19 keeping us all at home and apart from family and friends.
Even now.
Even if …
Finish the sentence any way you choose.
Whatever our situation or our emotions, our Abba Father—our Dear Daddy—understands. (He made us, remember?)
He cares for his creation. We are precious to him. Listen to what Jesus told his followers;
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. … Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing … And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? –Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:22, 25-26
Whatever we face, we are not alone. Jesus walks by our side.
Our call is to keep our minds on who HE is
The Apostle Paul spoke of that over and over. One of his most well-known epistles is the one to the Philippians, especially Chapter 4:6-7. Here it is from “The Message,” a paraphrase of Paul’s word, which helps us understand the deeper meaning.
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Everything coming together for good, even when none of it looks good to you and me.
We see our moment in time. Our Lord sees all of time, from before the beginning to after the end
Centuries before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God spoke through his prophet, Isaiah:
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. –Isaiah 41:10
That’s the beauty of knowing Jesus and trusting in Him.
We celebrate Easter in this season of the year when we are surrounded by the beauty our loving Father created and in every season of every year, the love of Jesus blesses us
May God give us eyes to see!
*Unless otherwise noted all Bible verses are ESV.
Lenore Buth is glad to be part of the St. Matthew family and appreciates all the love and support. She has been writing for many years, including newspaper and magazine articles, as well as several books and some study materials for Concordia Publishing House.
She writes a weekly blog post and has kept it going since the summer of 2008. You can check it out at www.awomansview.typepad.com.