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A lesson from the fields:
v. 27. 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.
v. 28. If, then, God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?
v. 29. And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
v. 30. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
v. 31. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.
The lilies of the field, with their velvety texture and their inimitably gorgeous colors, present the second object-lesson. For they do not ply the needle, neither do they spin or weave. And yet they are not only clothed, but their raiment is of such a kind that even rich King Solomon, with the almost fabulous riches at his disposal, could not compare with one of them in this respect. And Jesus goes even farther than this. Even the grass, that has little beauty to commend it to the average observer, uses better judgment. It blooms and flourishes in the field today, and tomorrow it is used as fuel for the ovens of the people. And yet it is clothed by God for the short space of its life; how much rather will God, then, give the necessary clothing to His children. "There stand flowers of every color, decorated in the most beautiful manner, that no emperor or king is equal to them in ornament. For all their ornament is a dead thing. But a flower has its color and. beauty, and is a natural, living thing. And it is not to be understood that it grows thus by chance. For if it were not God's special order and creation, it would never be possible that one be so much like the other, having the same color, leaves, number of petals, veins, indentations, and other measures. If God, then, uses such diligence in case of the grass, which exists only that it may be seen and that the cattle may eat it, is it not a sin and a shame that we still doubt whether God will actually provide clothing for us?" What foolishness, therefore, to be concerned about eating and drinking; to be full of hesitation and doubt, to look anxiously for help, like the mariner in a tempest-tossed vessel! These all are things which the people of the world, the heathen, make their prime concern; but as for you, the Father knows that ye need these things. Only one thing there is which should be the object of anxious search, that is the kingdom of God. To be a member of this kingdom, to have and keep true faith in the heart, through which such membership is insured, that is the one fact which should give every Christian his chief concern, on account of which he daily prays the Second Petition. All the other things that are necessary for the sustaining of life are added without worry or care, by the providence of God.