Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) with Hoard or Grainary WikiC
Wow! Where does time go? With all this craziness over the Coronavirus and the uneasiness of our country, time gets away from me. Maybe I need to listen to what Jesus was saying about not being anxious. This is the 4th mention of birds by the Lord while here on earth. 1st Cleansing Of Temple was the last in this series. That was back in May.
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26 NASB) [emphasis mine]
Coppersmith Barbet (Psilopogon haemacephala) ©WikiC Feeding
This time we have the much quoted, and taught, lesson about the feeding of birds of the air. Mathew 6:25-34 is a favorite passage of mine. The Lord encourages us to relax and put our trust in Him. LOOK!!! at the birds, I take great care of them. I WILL ALSO take great care of you!!
Clothes? Look how HE feeds and dresses the birds! Even the plants, are so beautiful.
“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.” (Matthew 6:27-29 NASB)
QUIT WORRYING!
“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?‘ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:30-32 NASB)
So, how do we quit worring, Look to Jesus and His Kingdom. First by accepting Him as our Savior, and then learning to trust fully in His care and provisions. No, the food won’t fall out of heaven, but the Lord will provide us the means of providing what we can. Then we need to depend on Him to provide whatelse we need. (Not always what we want)
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33-34 NASB)
Gospel Message
- Jesus and Birds – Introduction
- Jesus And Birds – His Dedication
- Jesus And Birds – His Baptism
- 1st Cleansing Of Temple
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 
These verses are a favorite of mine also, and why I wrote my books. We can learn so much from our birds. Yes, concomitantly, Jesus words “Ask, Seek and knock are all in the present continuous tense in the Greek, which means we are to seek and keep on seeking, which fits with what you are saying about us being constantly seeking to be active in the Spirit.
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Thanks, also, for your input. These verses are the favorites for many of us. So needed right now. [and all the time.]
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Lee, you write: … No, the food won’t fall out of heaven, but the Lord will provide us the means of providing what we can.”
One thing I notice when I take Jesus’s advice and “watch the birds” is that they spend most of the daylight hours working their little tails off to avail themselves of the gifts of God’s well-laden table.
There is one sense in which the food DOES fall from heaven (think of the bread of life in Christ Jesus). He poured out his spirit upon the whole world – like the food which the birds find in every backyard and field. But we cannot avail ourselves of its inherent nourishment and healthfulness (ie., freedom from worry) unless we follow the birds and do not cease from the call to partake of his “means” – his spirit.
And you’re right, the things he knows we need are not those which we always seek. But the birds never fail from seeking, and this is the heart of the message.
Thanks for the inspiration.
I think you touched on this when you wrote: “by accepting Him as our Savior, and then learning to trust fully in His care and provisions.”
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Thanks for your insight. Yes, sometimes food does fall from heaven. During all this “home-time,” my neighbors have shared quite a few of there food with us. We are the “old folks” of the neighborhood. :)
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