Perceptions #200226

Look At The Birds

by Jim Brasher

Jesus said, "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds! They do not sow, or reap, or store away in barns, yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:25-27).

During the past week or so, I have seen more robins than I have ever seen at any time of year. Ever year I look for robins in our area sometime in December or January. But even then, I usually see them in pairs and occasionally in larger number on the lawns. But this year has been different. Lately I have seen robins in large flocks, filling the trees and literally covering the lawns of our city. If they have been arriving in such large numbers heretofore, I, for one, have not seen them.

But here's the point. Jesus said that we should "look at the birds" and consider the following: 1. They do not sow; 2. They do not reap; 3. They do not store away in barns. Now this is something we all know but our Lord sees a valuable lesson here that one might easily overlook, namely, that God takes care of the birds! Jesus said, "your heavenly father feeds them." All of this occurs without the slightest worry or anxiety on the part of our feathered friends.

The best commentary on his lesson Jesus taught about the birds comes in the form of the following stanzas:

Said the sparrow to the robin,
'Tis a point I'd like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so?

Said the robin to the sparrow,
I think that must be,
That they have no heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.

Jesus concluded by saying that instead of worrying ourselves sick about food and clothing, we should "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble on its own.

When you begin to feel "down" and anxious about the future, "look at the birds."

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