How Does God Use Flowers to Teach Us about Himself? ‘Walk out into the fields, look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen such color and design quite like it?’ Luke 12:25-28

Luke 12:27-28 The Message

^25-28 “Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

“April showers bring May flowers” is a phrase I heard my mother say all too often. She was obsessed with flower gardens and had a green thumb to match.

My childhood was filled with days running around our 40 acres of country, I’d run through meadows of unbelievably vivid colors blowing in the wind, flowers were everywhere. Our property was an oasis for all types, kinds, and colors.

My most vivid memory is the joy I felt when I was with mom walking through those flowers she loved.

As a child, I was not a believer and did not think about what flowers symbolize.

These past 20 plus years, in my marriage, my walk of faith and the realization that I too am obsessed with flowers, my thoughts about them have blossomed. 

God created flowers for His children for many reasons.

They represent many aspects of the Christian walk.

I want to take time and examine what flowers symbolize, the spiritual truths they convey, how we learn more about the character of God from flowers. 

Floral Symbolism in the Bible

Flowers are vibrant and majestic.

They are beautiful symbols of so many aspects of life.

In the Bible, flowers often represent beauty and glory.

In Song of Solomon 2:2 it is written “Like a lily among thorns, so is my darling among the young women.” Solomon uses the lily flower in this poetic verse to illustrate that the lily is a flower so beautiful, it stands out among thorns.

In Luke 12:27, God uses the wildflowers to point out the beauty displayed on the earth.

“Consider how the wild flowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.”

While flowers represent beauty and glory, they also represent mortality.

Myrrh is one such flower that symbolizes this idea beautifully. Myrrh is an old flower dating back to the Old Testament (Esther 2:12).

It was used as an aromatic for perfumes, and it comes full circle in Jesus’ life.

Jesus was presented myrrh at his birth (Matthew 2:8). Myrrh is then mixed with the wine the Roman soldiers gave him on the cross (Mark 15:23). As Jesus was being prepared for burial, myrrh’s used in the embalming process (John 19:39). 

Flowers are also used to symbolize divine provision and care for God’s children.

In Exodus 28, God gives instruction for the priestly garments Aaron and his sons needed to fulfill their duties.

In verse 33, God says to “make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on its lower hem and all around it.”

God also used flowers such as mallow, mint, saffron, rye, cumin, caper berries, and dill to provide food and spices for His people.

Mint and dill were also used as tithes.

Flax is another flowering plant that was used to make linen for clothing. 

Flowers are also used to symbolize love, purity, growth, and restoration.

The rose and or crocus flower gives us hope for renewal (Isaiah 35:1).

Hyssop was used to purify and cleanse (Psalm 51:7).

Mandrakes are seen as a symbol of love and fertility. Its roots were often prepared and eaten as a fertility drug (Genesis 30:14, Song of Solomon 7:13).

Flowers were and continue to be the perfect symbol for the Christian life.

It is a beautiful life that gives us hope, renewal, a promise of provision, and an understanding of its fragility. 

Spiritual Truths Found in Flowers

The Bible is filled with teachings that provide us with essential spiritual truths.

What is the meaning of Luke 12:27?

Jesus is explaining that God has more important uses for our energy than worrying.

We have no good reason to panic about starvation, nakedness, or even death.

In Luke 12:24, He reminds a crowd that ravens neither work nor store food in barns, but God feeds them regardless.

Jesus spends his entire ministry sharing these truths with us.

When we read the words of Jesus, we witness the creative power He has.

Every flower that blooms on every plant comes from God.

He spoke them into existence.

That is powerful! The vibrant colors, the whimsical shapes, and the statuesque stems speak of His worthiness of our worship. 

Flowers remind us that our lives are transient and fleeting.

Every spring, summer, and autumn we enjoy the colorful blossoms as they unfurl their petals, but we know winter is coming and the blossoms will fade and disappear.

Our lives on Earth are but a vapor. Our worldly pursuits are temporary.

The old will pass away, but we have hope that one day we will be restored at the right hand of our Father. 

All flowers rely on sun and water for growth.

Sometimes we must give them a boost with fertilizer and spritz of pest deterrent.

If the flowers’ needs are not met, they do not grow.

Flowers are an ultimate example of dependence and humility.

We need God to guide our paths and keep us from harm. With Him, we can have no fear. He is our inspiration, encouragement, and only source of abundant life. 

God’s Character Displayed

What does consider how the wildflowers grow mean?

It could be translated as “examine carefully,” “observe well,” or “learn thoroughly.”

Jesus says: Examine the wildflowers carefully.

Learn thoroughly from them.

Jesus invites us to consider: what might these wildflowers have to teach us – the ones who don’t toil or spin and yet are clothed so beautifully?

Flowers symbolize many things.

They remind us of important spiritual truths. But the ultimate lesson we learn from flowers is better understanding God’s character. Our God is a caring God.

He created flowers to give us something exquisite to look at, provide for our basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter. Before God made man, God knew what we needed and cared enough to create it. 

Our God is also attentive to detail.

Each flower has a unique color, petal, leaf, and stem.

Some flowers are grown from seed while others are grown from bulbs.

Some flowers are dwarf varieties while some have double blooms.

The diligence God uses in the creation of flowers tells us that He is attentive to the details of our lives.

He has taken time to create us and prepare us for the plan He has for us.

We do not have to doubt Him because every detail is taken care of.

God boldly shows us His creative side when we observe flowers.

Watching the distinct stages of growth is amazing.

How creative is it to take a tiny seed that will sprout a plant that can grow as tall as six feet.

The array of colors tells us that we can be creative too. Flowers are useful for life-giving purposes, but they also are a way God makes our lives colorful. 

Commonly known as the Foxglove, Giant Shirley Digitalis comes in mixed colors. Foxgloves are tall plants with elongated, spotted, bell-shaped flowers of red, white and pink. Prefers shade in moderately rich soil.

Flowers also show off the transformative power God has.

Every flower God created has the power to transform our lives.

Flowers can turn a difficult day into a good one.

Flowers can be used to cleanse us when their aromas are used in soaps and perfumes.

They can put a smile on our faces.

Just as we are dirty with sin, God can transform our hearts, minds, and lives.

A plain field of grass can be plowed and filled with flower seeds and become transformed into a colorful, vibrant place.

Our plain lives can be made full and vibrant when we allow God to transform us. 

Final Floral Thoughts

What is the spiritual meaning of a wildflower?

The most significant meanings of wildflowers is their symbolism of unity.

These flowers grow together in natural meadows and fields, creating a beautiful tapestry of colors and scents. They remind us despite our many differences, we can come together to create community, something beautiful and harmonious.

Flowers are so much more than a stem with leaves and bloom.

They are a piece of God’s creation that symbolize purity, love, provision, and beauty. They are beautiful reminders that our lives are fleeting.

One day this Earth will be gone, and a new heaven and earth will take its place.

While we wait, we can only depend on God. 

The next time you see wildflowers in the field, tend the flowers in our garden, remember we serve a creative God. We serve a God that can transform our lives. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …

Praying …

Psalm 46 The Message

46 ^1-3 God is a safe place to hide,
    ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
    courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
    the tremors that shift mountains.

    Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

^4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city,
    this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
    God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
    but Earth does anything he says.

⁷     Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

^8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
    He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
    breaks all the weapons across his knee.
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
    loving look at me, your High God,
    above politics, above everything.”

¹¹     Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
    God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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