Life Lesson

As a small child in Sunday School, I was taught that all creatures were created by God, and that birds were actually the first living creature that He placed on the Earth. (Genesis 1:20)

Besides filling the earth with song, birds have even been used by God to minister to people. An example that comes to mind is when Elijah was fed by ravens while he was beside the brook at Cherith (1 Kings 17:4-6) The birds brought him bits of bread to eat, as well as being a source of meat to nourish his body.

Birds are plentiful in our world. Sparrows are the most widespread and common bird on earth, and are found on every continent except Antartica. We see them everywhere and rarely even notice them or give them any significant thought as we go about our daily routines. There are scriptures in the Bible that talk about how we may view common sparrows as being of little value, yet God sees each one of them as an individual and makes provision for their every need.

It is written:

"Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them is forgotten or uncared for. Not one will fall to the ground without God’s consent and notice. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail, even knowing how many hairs you have on your head. So don’t be afraid. You are more valuable to God than many flocks of sparrows. Don’t be anxious or troubled about your life, as to what you will eat; or about your body, as to what you will wear. Observe and consider the birds. They do not sow or reap; they have no storeroom or barn, yet God takes care of them. And how much more important you are to God than the birds!" Luke 12:6,7,22,24

When I grew to be an adult, I made a point to put out bird feeders and stock them all year long so I could "observe and consider the birds". I'd watch the sparrows and other wild birds come for seed or bits of leftover bread and I'd think about how God, Himself, was watching them as well, knowing each of them and caring about their wellbeing. If He cares that much for these tiny creatures, as the verses say, how much more so does He care for me.

The breeder that I purchased my initial stock from said that he was glad "their new owner is so concerned about every detail to preserve their wellbeing". The thought he expressed made me think about that passage, and how God is concerned about every detail of our life, and preserving our wellbeing.

In the passage above (vs. 22) it says, "Don’t be anxious or troubled about your life, as to what you will eat; or about your body, as to what you will wear. Observe and consider the birds." It goes in to tell us, in simple terms, to not worry. The God that watches so closely over each common sparrow cares so much more about us, and will surely provide for our needs. That may be easier said than done, because worry seems to flood us at times. The only thing that can replace worry is trust, and placing that trust in God, who loves us and watches over every detail of our lives. Worry and trust cannot live in the same place at the same time, you have to choose one or the other. The one you choose to spend time with will grow.

In all my years of bird watching, I have yet to see a sparrow sitting on a tree limb having a nervous breakdown. Sparrows don't give a moment's thought to what they will eat tomorrow, and they really don't have to, as God, Himself, will provide for them. They trust Him and rely on Him to take care of their every need. He causes grasses and seeds to grow for an ample food supply, and will place a thought in someone's head that will cause them to throw their old bread out the back door or fill up a bird feeder. We are much more important to God than a common sparrow, so how much more so will He provide for us?

Phillipians 4:6-7 says, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand." (NLT)

Whenever I ponder the canaries in my birdroom, and consider how careful I am to provide all that is necessary for them to be healthy and happy, how I put thought into every corner of their environment as to remove any potential for harm, how I watch over their diet, their lighting, their behavior, every detail of their lives, I realize that I am so much more important to God than these feathered creatures, how much more so He is caring for me, and how blessed I am.

This is a life lesson we all can learn by observing and considering the birds.