Take Flight

Pastor Robert Stephens

One of my hobbies is backyard bird feeding. I enjoy watching, feeding, identifying, and supporting the wildlife that is all around us. Last year my family enjoyed watching a pair of birds build a nest and lay eggs in a birdhouse hanging on our fence.

These two birds have worked tirelessly for weeks building and guarding seven eggs.  One day by the grace of God, we were able to catch the birds on the day they hatched. These birds had become part of our family. Then weeks later the day finally came when we could watch all seven young birds take their first flight.

For over 20 minutes, we sat on the back porch, passing binoculars back and forth as we watched this miracle of creation one after another.  During these twenty minutes, my children must have asked April and me 20-plus questions in rapid succession about these birds.  Many of their questions left us dumbfounded, with the only acceptable response being about God taking care of the birds.  We would say things like, well, God knew, and he took care of them. Or, Well, God can help them grow fast, or God……In doing so, I was reminded of this great passage in the scripture:

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:26-27)

Look at God's amazing stewardship of His creation.

“Your heavenly Father feeds them...”

We should never forget that God still cares for the world around us. He is feeding the birds and watering the trees. There is a level of intimacy between God and His creation that I believe we often overlook and forget. We tend to want to think of God as too busy or too powerful or too mighty to take the time to care for the small, lowly birds of the earth. But He does.
This image of God is one that I relish. He is a loving and attentive God to all of the world.  Matthew vs. 26 “are you not of more value than they?”

Make no mistake, the passage is saying you are more of value to God than the birds, but as you recognize the detail, focus, love, and care that God shows to the birds, you have to see that He loves, cares, and provides for you even more.  On this beautiful January day, I want to encourage you today to sit outside and look at the birds.

Do as this text suggest, look at the birds.  Notice the provision of God for them, and as you do, marvel then at the provision of God in your life.  If he cares this much for the birds, His care for you will far exceed that.