Hope from the Birds

This past week I noticed the blue birds were back.    What a beautiful sight to see. As long as I keep them well feed with meal worms, I think they will stick around.  Some people say you shouldn’t feed the birds, believing it keeps them from fending for themselves.  I don’t think the birds need to worry.  God provides plenty of food and protection for them in our woods.  If my blue birds don’t appear worried, neither should I. 

Life’s pressures can certainly put a lot of worry on our plate.  Take for example cancer. Not only are the treatments painful and something I dread each time, it becomes so easy to worry about my prognosis.  Will I be around to see my twins graduate?  Will I ever get back to nursing?  Will I ever have the strength and breath to hike a mountain again? 

As a child of God, I know God’s is sovereign and He makes my anxiety look foolish. Birds do not worry, they sing, and still they find food each day. I am God’s image-bearer and God tells me I have more worth than the birds.  I have confidence that He will feed me as well (Matt. 6:26). I don’t have much of an appetite these days, but I do love to feed on God’s word.  It gives me encouragement, where people fail.  God’s word gives strength when my body fails.  God’s word directs my eyes to His Kingdom. God’s word shows me I do not need not worry about tomorrow, for God always takes care of His own (Ps. 37:25). 

We shouldn’t worry about tomorrow if we are serving Jesus.  Even if we don’t get all of our wants, He will certainly give us all of our needs. If you are struggling with worry, take your eyes off yourself and look to the birds. Then, ask God to help you learn to trust in Him.  Matthew 6: ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

It may be my fight, but it is for His glory!