In my devotional time this week, I’ve been focused on the word “Consider.” It wasn’t a quick glimpse. I kept coming back to the word over and over. It’s the kind of word that deserves unhurried attention. And the reward for me was discovering three ordinary things that God asks us to look at more carefully. All three stand out clearly in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) version.
And consider your relative Elizabeth…Luke 1:36
Consider the ravens…Luke 12:24
Consider how the wildflowers grow…Luke 12:27
A person. His creation. A process.
Consider Your Relative (Luke 1:36)
The principle: Look at the people in your own life as evidence of God’s faithfulness
Mary has just received impossible news from the angel Gabriel. He helps Mary understand the news of her impending pregnancy by saying, “Consider your relative.” Gabriel doesn’t tell her what to believe. He asks her to consider Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy after all the years of waiting. Who is your person to learn from? Who do you know who carries a story of God doing the impossible?
Look around and take notice. God is working in the lives of others, and He can work in yours.
Consider the Ravens (Luke 12:24)
The principle: Let His creation teach you about Him as a Provider
Ravens are considered unclean birds; they aren’t noble creatures like an eagle. How like Jesus to pick the unlikely ones as an example to glean from. Ravens cannot plan, invest, save, or worry, and yet they are fed. You are worth more than these birds. Step outside this week. Consider one thing in nature and notice how God sustains it. Let it speak words of knowledge and comfort to you.
Consider How the Wildflowers Grow (Luke 12:27)
The principle: Pay attention to the manner of God’s provision, not just the fact of it
Jesus isn’t telling us to admire how beautiful the flowers are; He wants us to look at HOW they grow. There is no striving, no anxiety, no grinding each day to make things happen. And yet their appearance surpasses Solomon’s glory. The beauty of the flower is effortless precisely because it is received, not achieved. Where in your life are you striving for what God may want to simply give?
And Consider This
A person, His creation, a process. God redirects our anxious and doubting hearts toward observable, specific things already present. What if worry is partly a failure of our deep attention? What if the sermon you need has already been preached in someone’s story, or in your backyard, or in the quiet way a flower opens?
Action: This week, slow down long enough to consider one person, one part of His creation, or one ordinary thing, and let it speak to you.
*For those of you who prayer walk, ponder these things: “A person. His creation. A process.” as you walk. For your copy of this week’s screensaver, click here. And to access all of my YouVersion Bible App devotional plans, click here.