Worried Birds

“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?” -Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

Christians are perhaps the most worried of sorts. Ironic is it not? The very people who serve a God who promises to protect and provide for them even more than His loving care for the sparrow, are the most notorious for being anxious and troubled. Whenever trials come, the first response always seems to be “why?” Why did God allow this to happen? Why doesn’t God provide for us now? Despair is a natural human response, and because we can never look above our circumstances and see the whole plan God has set for our lives, we often react to our present reality. God understands our short-sightedness and allows us to despair. Psalm 88 is prime evidence of that fact. It is perfectly understandable when troubles come to grieve, wail, and mourn for in reality, keeping a stiff upper lip is often hard to do.

At the same time however, Christians should take comfort in the fact that God never forsakes His people, and always has a beautiful plan for their lives. Although we can never see the whole plan, we can see bits of it in retrospect. God’s faithfulness to His followers is often understood by His followers after the trial has passed. Suffering produces strength and faith in the believer. Should a believer hold the hand of God and trust Him in his present situation, not only would he have the strength to face greater challenges, but his faith in God’s faithfulness will be strengthened simultaneously. Despair has its place no doubt, but clinging onto despair will only further entrench a person into helplessness and misery. Christ came to set humanity free from a lot of things. One of these things was worry. As long as the believer continues to place his trust and obedience in Christ, he can rest and find solace in his Savior’s promises never to abandon and never to forsake, that the torturous night eventually gives way to the glorious day.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.