This verse is part of a wonderful portion which speaks of the Lord’s great and loving care for His people. Let’s read Luke 12:22-28, “And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. IF THEN GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS, WHICH IS TO DAY IN THE FIELD, AND TO MORROW IS CAST INTO THE OVEN; HOW MUCH MORE WILL HE CLOTHE YOU, O YE OF LITTLE FAITH?”

The first thing I want to point out is that this portion IS NOT telling that we should not work for a living. We read in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” The Lord is teaching us here that we should not worry. He says in verse 25, “And which of you with taking thought (worrying) can add to his stature one cubit?” All is under God’s control and in His loving care. We SHOULD work to earn a living. That is scriptural. But if we are anxious or worrisome, it does not benefit us at all. Worry is really a lack of faith!

The Lord, in this portion, asks us to consider the RAVENS and the LILIES. The ravens do not plant seeds. Neither do they reap harvests, yet the Lord takes care of them…and we are much better than the fowls of the air. The lilies grow, but they are not able to do any work. They cannot gather grain to eat. They cannot go to a stream to drink, yet the Lord takes care of them. The sunshine, the rain, the dew…all are gifts from God to sustain the lilies, to make them strong and beautiful, more beautiful than Solomon in all his glory. They last but a little while…here one day and gone the next. Yet the Lord clothes them with beauty. How much more so will He meet our needs.

The Lord also asks us to consider the GRASS. Its lifespan is so short. One day it can be standing tall in the field and the next day it is cut, dried, and put into the furnace as fuel to heat. Even though its usefulness is limited and its timespan is short, the Lord takes care of it. How much more so will He take care of His children? We have a similar lesson regarding a sparrow in Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Sparrows are considered to be nasty birds. They are scavengers and will eat most anything they can find. They were ridiculously cheap. You could buy two of them for a farthing. A farthing is about ½ cent. Yet, the Lord has his eye on each one. If anyone of them dies, the Lord is aware of it.

The Lord takes care of the ravens, the lilies, the grass, and the sparrow…these small things. Certainly He will care for us because we are of far, far greater value than these. You who have trusted Him with your eternity, can’t you trust Him with today? You have trusted Him with the most important decision you will ever make, can’t you trust Him to minister to your every need? 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for HE CARETH FOR YOU.” (284.4)