Look at the Birds

Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?

— Matthew 6:26

 

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave some illustrations as to why we should not worry, and one of the examples He chose to use was that of birds. Speaking outdoors near the Sea of Galilee, maybe Jesus even gestured toward a few birds flying by: 'Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?" (Matthew 6:26).

Birds don't have the promises that we have. Birds aren't promised eternal life. Birds are not created in the image of God. Yet do birds ever look worried to you? Every morning, like clockwork, they are up at the break of dawn, singing away. Jesus was saying, 'You see, the birds are fine. You can be fine. If God takes care of birds, won't He take care of you?"

That doesn't mean the birds don't go out and get their food. Some eat vegetation. Others eat seeds. Some eat fish. The rest hang out at McDonalds and wait for you to drop your fries. Then there are those thieving birds, the sea gulls, which hang out at the beaches and wait for you to go into the water so they can fly off with your lunch. Birds take care of business, but they don't worry about it. As one poet wrote,

Said the robin to the sparrow, 'I would really like to know
why those anxious human beings rush around and worry so."
Said the sparrow to the robin, 'Friend, I think that it must be
that they have no Heavenly Father such as cares for you and me."

If God takes care of the birds, will He not take care of you as well?

Trusting God's Providence

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

— Psalm 127:2

 

Daniel was a man of integrity with no weak spots, no scandals, and no sins that his enemies could identify. And when King Darius came into power during Israel's 70-year captivity, he relied on Daniel's wise, insightful counsel. Yet there were others who didn't like this Hebrew prophet.

Because Daniel had a habit of praying openly every day, his enemies convinced King Darius to foolishly sign a law that would prohibit prayer to anyone except the king. The penalty for breaking this law was being thrown into a den of lions. Sure enough, Daniel prayed as he always had, and it was reported to Darius. The frustration for the king was that as powerful as he was, he couldn't change a law that he himself had set into motion. So Daniel was sent to die in a den of lions. Yet the Bible tells us that Daniel slept while the king was up all night. I find it interesting that the child of God in the den of lions slept peacefully, while the faithless man in the palace with all its luxuries was up and worried and stressed out. As Solomon wrote, "For God gives rest to his loved ones" (Psalm 127:2).

And so it is for the person who puts his or her trust in God. When we are worrying, we are really saying that God isn't in control, that God is not paying attention. When we worry, we are not trusting in the providence of God.

And what is the providence of God? It is the belief that God is in control of the universe. And specifically as Christians, it means we believe there are no accidents in our lives. Nothing touches us that has not first passed through His hands. So trust in the providence of God.

Hurried, Worried, Buried

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

— Matthew 6:34

 

The epitaph could be written on countless American gravestones: "Hurried, worried, buried." We spend our lives full of anxiety and frustration and worry.

Martha is a classic example of someone who was overly anxious. Jesus often visited the home of Martha, her sister Mary, and her brother Lazarus in Bethany. On one such occasion, Martha was slaving away in the kitchen when Mary decided it was a great opportunity to sit at the Lord's feet. Martha got frustrated because she thought Mary was being idle and lazy. So she said to Jesus, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me" (Luke 10:40).

Jesus told her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41–42). In other words, there is a time for work and there is a time for worship.

No Worries!

"So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs."

— Matthew 6:31–32

 

A poll was taken in which Americans were asked what they worry about the most. The number-one response was, "My appearance." They may lose their house. They may lose their life savings. They may get wiped off the earth in a nuclear blast. But the real concern is, "How do I look in this outfit?" Things don't change much. Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs" (Matthew 6:31–32). Fast-forward to today, and the number-one concern is the outward.

What do you worry about the most? What causes you the greatest stress? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us why we should not worry, and what we should do instead. Then He concludes with this statement: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need" (Matthew 6:33).

God's Signature

And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

— John 1:42

 

When Andrew brought his brother Simon Peter to Jesus, He looked at him and gave him a new name. Jesus didn't do that with other people. He didn't give out names right off the bat. But Jesus looked at Simon Peter and gave him a new name, Rock (see John 1:42).

I wonder if the others thought, Rock? Is this a joke? What does He mean, "Rock?" When you think of the word "rock," you think of something that is solid and dependable and trustworthy. Peter was hotheaded and impulsive and too quick to speak.

Yet when the Bible tells us Jesus looked at Peter, it could be translated to read that Jesus looked right through him. Jesus knew what He was getting with Simon. He knew that Peter would one day let Him down. He knew that Peter would one day deny Him. But He also knew that one day Peter would grow into that new name. He knew that one day Peter would preach the gospel on the Day of Pentecost, and 3,000 people would believe.