Matthew 6:25-26

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they? NIV

I thought that this passage was pretty interesting.  When I looked it up in The Message, which puts the Bible in more contemporary terms, that translation seemed to urge the reader not to be concerned with fashion or with the kind of food he or she is eating.

Maybe some people worry about fashion.  In fact, I’m sure they do.  Fashion is not really a big worry for me.

I think that, for me, this passage is actually getting at something more basic.  When I look closely, I see that it may address some of my basic needs … food and clothing.  And it may also be getting at my notion that if I can just work hard enough, or make enough money, or save enough money, things will all be ok.  Understand me, working hard and saving money are important, but they are not the most important things to do while we are here on earth.

We were created for relationship with God.  I think He is saying, “look, even birds get this, can’t you see it?”

When I think about it, birds actually have a pretty tenuous existence.  They are easy prey for cats, or bigger birds, they are subject to disease, they have to forage for food, they have to relocate multiple times a year to avoid life-threatening shifts in temperature.  Birds don’t have jobs or savings accounts … they are dependent upon God providing them what they need.  And,  He does.  They can fly, for goodness sake … and, haven’t I read that some of them have incredible navigation capabilities to guide them in their migrations?

God has equipped birds with what they need for life.  He will provide for me, too.  In fact, the passage notes that I am more valuable to Him than a bird, “much more,” it says.  Today, I will think about trusting in that.  I will think about replacing worry with praise and angst with peace.