The Birds of the Air
I could probably learn a thing or two from Mama Bird. She doesn't sow or reap or store away in barns. She takes a day at a time, trusting that each day she will find enough seeds and berries to stay alive.
Our church is currently offering an elective addressing topics like living well within your means, investing, passing on a legacy to your children, and end-of-life preparations. With these topics freshly on my mind, I have found my thoughts drifting to money and finances often. My husband and I have been encouraged to take a closer look at our finances. Have we been sticking to our budget? How much are we actually saving each month? How can we better invest our money for our future? So, the last few days I have spent a lot of time analyzing and tweaking our budget.
I confess, it took us several years of marriage before we became fans of budgeting. Due to my husband's real estate career, it was very difficult to have a spending plan when our income greatly varied. Looking back, I realize it was a very stressful time, financially. We never knew when the next pay check would come and how much it would be. We were crushed when a real estate transaction fell through because our lives truly depended on it. Three years ago, we couldn't take the stress anymore and God led my husband to a great electrical company and he is able to excel in both jobs.
I wouldn't prefer to go back to those desperate, poor days and yet, it was such a faith-building time in our lives when we would see God provide for our needs at the perfect time. We never had to go without food or clothing like so many people in this world do. Jesus commands us in Matthew 6 not to worry about food and clothing, but to trust Him to provide. It's a very familiar passage, so I decided to read the Message translation:
Matthew 6:26-34
The Message (MSG)
25-26 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Reading this version just makes me want to weep! How dare I doubt God for His provisions. How shallow of me to get caught up in the fashions of this world. How selfish of me to be preoccupied with getting rather than giving. Forgive me, Lord, for living for myself all too often.
May we all learn to obey Jesus and follow Mama Bird's example:
Take a day at a time and not worry about the future.
Trust in God's provision for our needs.
Be content in our circumstances.
Realize my value.
Fly free and unfettered; careless in the care of God.
27-29 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Reading this version just makes me want to weep! How dare I doubt God for His provisions. How shallow of me to get caught up in the fashions of this world. How selfish of me to be preoccupied with getting rather than giving. Forgive me, Lord, for living for myself all too often.
May we all learn to obey Jesus and follow Mama Bird's example:
Take a day at a time and not worry about the future.
Trust in God's provision for our needs.
Be content in our circumstances.
Realize my value.
Fly free and unfettered; careless in the care of God.
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