Birds Of The Air

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you of not more value than they?" ~Matthew 6:26


The birds of the air are such a perfect example of faith and dependence on God. Unlike some creatures, such as squirrels-who frantically run around gathering food and hiding it lest they not have enough-always living in fear; birds live in no fear of the future. They have no secret storehouse full of berries and worms; rather, they leave such matters up to a faithful and good Creator.

Instead of worrying about tomorrow, birds gloriously put their energies into doing what they were created to do-sing the praises of the Father, and enjoy the wings He gave them.

Have you ever wondered why birds sometimes just fly around, or spend hours in air thermals? They are doing what they were created to do-and in so doing, bringing their Creator glory.
We laugh at movies such as 102 Dalmatians, where the bird thinks he is a dog and wont fly. Why do we thing it's so ridiculous? The answer is because he's not being who he was created to be; not using the gifts and abilities he's been given both for himself and the benefit of others. We laugh, but we don't realize that we live the same way; created to do and be one thing, and living as another. When we live in fear and anxiety, we are as out of place as a bird trying to be a dog. Anxiety doesn't fit-it's not what we were created for.
From the very beginning mankind was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever; yet we find animals who do a better job of it than us. Instead of trusting in a faithful, loving Creator, we worry and fret like the squirrel-always fearing for the winter time. This is not the mark of a godly woman. Proverbs 31:21 speaks of a godly woman this way: "she is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet." The godly woman fears not the snow for she knows her household is cared for by Royalty; and so she rests.

So let's live as we were created to live-women if faith, and children of God.

Read the Oswald Chambers quote again, and it really isn't true, is it?
You could be depressed and read Romans 8:1 and still have it be true of you.

I just finished reading Christy for the last four and a half straight hours. Dr. McNeil's prayer at the end is one of my all time favorite prayers I have ever read. It's so real and honest and...human.


"God, I have fought against You because I have not understood. Not only fought God, but cursed You. I did not understand why You let Margaret die---and our son. I did not understand anything about You. I still don't understand anything---except that somehow I know You are love. And that in my heart has been born so great a love for Christy as I did not know could exist on this earth. You, God, must be responcible. You must have put it there. So what do I do with it now?" ....The voice was hoarse with emotion. "Lord God Almighty, Lord God of heaven and of earth, I have been stiff-necked and proud, arrogant and stupid. I am not worthy of--of anything, least of all to ask any favors of You." The voice paused. The room was very quiet. I could hear the sharp intake of the man's breath. "Lord God, You are the Creater, I am the created. I am helpless, as helpless as all other men. As a doctor, I thought I knew something. Now there is nothing more I can do for Christy. Nothing at all.
"So I offer back to You this love You gave. It's all I have to give You, God. Here are our lives---hers and mine---I hold them out to You. Do---with us---as You please." The voice fell silent.

It is a beautiful picture of a strong, proud, arrogant man surrendering to the almightiness of God, and the wisdom and power of a Being higher than himself.

Though the theology in the book, especially David's, is questionable, Neil McNeil's prayer at the very end hit home with me, and I believe also registers truth.

Explination:

I know I have changed my blog backround at least a half dozen times in the last two days, but I simply couldn't find the one that fit me best. Well, as you see I found one with pinkish purple daisies so I believe my search is done. :D

Waiting

S.D. Gordon, in his Quiet Talks On Prayer describes waiting as; "Steadfastness, that is holding on; Patience, that is holding back; Expectancy, that is holding the face up; Obedience, that is holding one's self in readiness to go or do; Listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear."

I may have already posted this awhile ago, but I ran across it again today in one of my notebooks and it really ministered to me.