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Saturday, February 1, 2014

God among the lilies

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. -- Jesus Christ (Luke 12:27)

The study of lilies can reveal a great deal about Almighty God. The variety of shapes and colors is astounding. The genus Lilium is one of the great ones of the kingdom of plants. Their range covers much of the surface of the earth. Hence, the diversity and legendary beauty of these plants points to a brilliant and artistic creator.
Most of us have studied the parts of the lily in a high school biology class, but how many of us have taken the time to really appreciate the beauty, simplicity and complexity of those structures. Consider the stamens with their anthers full of pollen perched at the top of long, slender filaments. Consider the carpels with their ovaries, styles and stigmas; and the roles that all of these structures play in the reproduction of the species. Look at the colorful sepals and petals and think about the roles that they play in attracting insects to the reproductive parts at their center to spread the pollen and fertilize the female parts of the flower.  In the soil under the lily, the bulbs that will ensure the appearance of the plant again next year are safely tucked away.
Moreover, in addition to the structures that are visible to the naked eye, we must remember that there are smaller structures within each lily that are only visible with a microscope. Each lily is made up of numerous cells. Likewise, each cell has numerous smaller structures called organelles:  the nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, chloroplasts, vacuoles, cytoplasm, etc. (each one with a special job to do in maintaining the life and function of the lily).
So Christ knew exactly what he was talking about when he instructed his disciples to "consider the lilies." When we do, they will provide us with some valuable insights into the being who created them.

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