Consider How the Flowers Grow - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 22

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Consider How the Flowers Grow
By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading: 
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith!” – Luke 12:27-28, NIV

During May, I love to visit gardens to see flowers. It’s one of my favorite ways to relax. Flowers become so beautiful just by doing what they were made to do, without any stress. Looking at them, I’m reminded that I can trust God to take care of me, too.

We can get overwhelmed with everything we must do in our busy lives. We might even start worrying about the future. But Jesus tells us not to worry and to look at the simple beauty of nature to inspire us to make a different choice. He tells us to think about how wildflowers grow as a reminder that God cares for everything he made – including us. These verses remind us that God loves and cares for even the most minor parts of his creation. The flowers grow naturally, depending on God for everything they need. They don’t worry about whether they’ll have enough. They trust what God provides for them – and in the process, they become beautiful. We may worry about what we need for our health, money, relationships, and much more. But Jesus says to look at the flowers and learn from them. They grow well under God’s care without worrying – just by being what God made them to be.

If God cares so much for these short-lived flowers, how much more will God care for us, his children? Our worries can make us forget to trust God’s provision. Jesus asks us to have more faith. He challenges us to trust that God knows what we need and will provide it at the right time. Just like the flowers rely on God for everything, Jesus invites us to rely on God for everything we need. This means believing that God knows our needs and is working to meet them best for us.

Beautiful flowers also show us how amazing God’s work is in our lives. God’s care for us includes paying attention to every little detail. If God puts so much care into making flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow and look beautiful, how much more does God care about the details of our lives? This should make us feel grateful and give us peace, knowing that our lives are in the hands of a loving God.

Just as flowers grow without effort, trusting God to provide, we can rest assured that God will meet our needs. We should still work hard on what God has given us to do. But we never need to worry about our needs being met because we can always trust our loving Heavenly Father to provide what we need. So, let’s enjoy the simple beauty of flowers and let their beauty remind us of God’s beautiful care for us. May we grow in faith, knowing that the God who clothes the flowers so well will take care of us!

Intersecting Faith and Life

As you consider how flowers can inspire you to trust God more, reflect on these questions:

  • When you feel overwhelmed by worries, how can enjoying flowers help you relieve stress and find a fresh perspective?
  • What specific needs do you find most challenging in trusting God to help you? What steps can you take to practice trusting God more to meet those needs?
  • How does the idea that God cares for all the details of your life give you a sense of security?
  • Think of a time when God surprisingly met a need for you. How can remembering that experience strengthen your faith?
  • How can you create more moments in your daily life to appreciate the simple beauty of God’s creation and use those moments to connect with God?

Further Reading
Matthew 6:33-34
Philippians 4:6-7
Psalm 23:1
1 Peter 5:7
Isaiah 40:8

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Oleksandr Yakoniuk

 


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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Consider How the Flowers Grow - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 22

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Audio By Carbonatix

The Crosswalk Devotional updated banner logo

Consider How the Flowers Grow
By: Whitney Hopler

Bible Reading: 
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith!” – Luke 12:27-28, NIV

During May, I love to visit gardens to see flowers. It’s one of my favorite ways to relax. Flowers become so beautiful just by doing what they were made to do, without any stress. Looking at them, I’m reminded that I can trust God to take care of me, too.

We can get overwhelmed with everything we must do in our busy lives. We might even start worrying about the future. But Jesus tells us not to worry and to look at the simple beauty of nature to inspire us to make a different choice. He tells us to think about how wildflowers grow as a reminder that God cares for everything he made – including us. These verses remind us that God loves and cares for even the most minor parts of his creation. The flowers grow naturally, depending on God for everything they need. They don’t worry about whether they’ll have enough. They trust what God provides for them – and in the process, they become beautiful. We may worry about what we need for our health, money, relationships, and much more. But Jesus says to look at the flowers and learn from them. They grow well under God’s care without worrying – just by being what God made them to be.

If God cares so much for these short-lived flowers, how much more will God care for us, his children? Our worries can make us forget to trust God’s provision. Jesus asks us to have more faith. He challenges us to trust that God knows what we need and will provide it at the right time. Just like the flowers rely on God for everything, Jesus invites us to rely on God for everything we need. This means believing that God knows our needs and is working to meet them best for us.

Beautiful flowers also show us how amazing God’s work is in our lives. God’s care for us includes paying attention to every little detail. If God puts so much care into making flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow and look beautiful, how much more does God care about the details of our lives? This should make us feel grateful and give us peace, knowing that our lives are in the hands of a loving God.

Just as flowers grow without effort, trusting God to provide, we can rest assured that God will meet our needs. We should still work hard on what God has given us to do. But we never need to worry about our needs being met because we can always trust our loving Heavenly Father to provide what we need. So, let’s enjoy the simple beauty of flowers and let their beauty remind us of God’s beautiful care for us. May we grow in faith, knowing that the God who clothes the flowers so well will take care of us!

Intersecting Faith and Life

As you consider how flowers can inspire you to trust God more, reflect on these questions:

  • When you feel overwhelmed by worries, how can enjoying flowers help you relieve stress and find a fresh perspective?
  • What specific needs do you find most challenging in trusting God to help you? What steps can you take to practice trusting God more to meet those needs?
  • How does the idea that God cares for all the details of your life give you a sense of security?
  • Think of a time when God surprisingly met a need for you. How can remembering that experience strengthen your faith?
  • How can you create more moments in your daily life to appreciate the simple beauty of God’s creation and use those moments to connect with God?

Further Reading
Matthew 6:33-34
Philippians 4:6-7
Psalm 23:1
1 Peter 5:7
Isaiah 40:8

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Oleksandr Yakoniuk

 


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler helps people discover God's wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at www.whitneyhopler.com and on her Facebook author page.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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