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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 and
common in our world. 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 see 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: |
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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
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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
there 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." That,
in simple terms, means
"don't worry". That may be easier said than done, and the only way to do
that is to "trust" God just as the birds do.
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?
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, and how much more so He is caring for
me.
This is a life lesson we all can learn by observing and considering the birds. |
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