Singaporean Orchids

Singapore’s Botanical Garden is within walking distance of our house. In that garden, an entire section is dedicated to orchids. While we were in the States, we couldn’t have them, but now, we are surrounded by them in Asia. I am not plant-smart, but I love seeing trees, flowers, and everything green!

Some flowers are so intricate. One orchid I saw was completely yellow with a few dots of red. It was as if God splashed some red paint on those yellow flowers to make them unique.

When people worried about what they might wear, the Lord Jesus said,

“Look at the lilies – how they grow. They neither stitch nor spin. But I tell you: not even Solomon in all his glory wore such beautiful clothing.” (Luke 12:27)

The Lord wasn’t exaggerating. Some of the flowers are too beautiful even to describe. Botanists say some of the colors in the flowers our eyes can’t see, but insects like butterflies and honeybees see and are drawn to them. They are that glorious. Yet, they have such a short lifespan.

“If God clothes so well the grass in the field that are here today and tossed into a furnace tomorrow, how much more would he clothe you, people of little faith?” (12:28)

Growing up in India, in a lower-income family, I received only two new sets of clothes a year – one for Christmas and another for Easter. My parents surprised us with those clothes, and we eagerly waited for them and were curious about what they would be like. But God generously clothed the entire world! He taught merchants to mix the right colors, spin, and weave the suitable materials, and fashion designers to turn those materials into beautiful outfits. Just as he clothed flowers and plants, and just as he clothed Adam and Eve after their disobedience, he continued to clothe people. As such, the disciples shouldn’t be worried about what they wore, just as they shouldn’t be worried about what they ate (12:29). God oversaw those, and he never failed in his mission.

If someone didn’t have this YHWH God, they needed to worry.

“All the nations of the world seek these things. But your Father knows that you need them [and will provide them]. So, you seek his rule, and all these will be added to you.” (12:30–31)

My parents’ house is beside a Hindu temple. Passersby devotees toss coins for firecrackers, and the priests light the firecrackers to wake up that god to answer the devotees’ requests. Unlike such sleepy and careless gods, the Father in Heaven knew what the disciples needed ahead of time and provided them with their needs. So they didn’t have to worry.

Instead, they needed to seek God’s rule (or kingdom). When they focused on God and his rule in their lives, everything else they needed, God provided for them.

We have been missionaries for 28 years! We can attest that God had provided everything we needed all those years. We always had everything. Sure, there were months we didn’t have enough giving to meet our needs, and sometimes we had to put our expenses on credit cards. But ultimately, he provided what we needed, often more than what Solomon had (e.g., living in Maui for a whole year!). He does this for all his children.