Lillies and Sparrows

by Jess Ray

Andrea Sandefur, tenor ukulele and vocals

There are quite a few cultural proverbs about birds and flowers: a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush, kill two birds with one stone, earth laughs in flowers, every flower blooms in its own time. However, I’ve always loved what Jesus taught about birds and flowers, particularly when it related to our worry. In Matthew 6, Jesus encourages us to consider the care God extends to the birds of the air and flowers of the field. This song’s chorus ends with a phrase that parallel’s Jesus’s point in verse 34. “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” I appreciate Jess Ray’s simple arrangement of these verses, which I’ve been able to memorize and weave into my heart. May they sink deep, like a personal proverb from the Lord.