One of the two main types of lilies from the genus Liliumis known as “true lilies,” representing at least one hundred species. The many hybrids make for countless varieties of the garden lily. These delicate yet hearty flowers offer an amazing bouquet of visual beauty to any garden or field. The lily is the perfect flower to plant for optimal artistry because they are able to offer their splendor from early spring to first frost.

Planting any type of lily is like creating a canvas of color. Their pallet ranges from bold colors to a white as pure as fresh fallen snow. Lilies can have an intoxicating fragrance or very little aroma. With so many unique shapes and sizes, no wonder the lily is one of the most noted flowers in the Bible with fifteen distinct references. Their visual beauty and strong fortitude are a powerful metaphor for how we as women are also designed by the ultimate Botanist.

Like lilies, God’s daughters are captivating, aromatic, diverse, and vibrant. Therefore, we must celebrate one another’s unique qualities, uniting together to further His kingdom. We also must embrace how we have been divinely designed. The closer we grow in our relationship with Christ, the better we understand ourselves as well as the other women with whom He has planted us to grow. Our heavenly Father wants us to celebrate our individualism while encouraging one another to cultivate who He has made us to be.

As I have grown in my relationship with the Lord, I have come to understand how much He loves all of me. As the Artist, He penciled in every hair on my head, shadowed the line of my oval face, calculated my height, and mixed the greens and yellows of my eyes. He chose the inner ingredients of my soul that make me who I am and how I love others. As the King of the world, He crafted me as His daughter, so I must seek to use all of me to glorify Him and His kingdom.

Take some time to study your divine design, your unique qualities as a woman, and how He handcrafted you to fit into creation. God wants to use all of you, but first you must come to view yourself through the eyes of Christ. As His cherished and treasured daughter, He looks upon you as beautiful, powerful, and created for a purpose. He fashioned you in His image, so how could you be anything less? 

Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed women in the country look shabby alongside them.

Matthew 6:28-29 MSG (adapted)

Roots

What internal strengths and qualities has God placed inside you that uniquely form who you are?

Blooms

What is your one most striking external quality God has given you that people tend to compliment or comment on?

Prayer

Divine Designer, thank You for the metaphor of the lily as an example of how You see me. Thank You for the unique and personal way You fashioned me inside and out. Please help me to see all of me as You do so I may use all of me for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.