Fred & Ethel

What is needed for happy effectual service is simply to put your work into the Lord's hand, and leave it there. Do not take it to Him in prayer, saying, "Lord, guide me, Lord, give me wisdom, Lord, arrange for me," and then arise from your knees, and take the burden all back, and try to guide and arrange for yourself. Leave it with the Lord, and remember that what you trust to Him you must not worry over nor feel anxious about. Trust and worry cannot go together.  Hannah Whitall Smith

We have a new pair of doves this year on our patio.  I was in the kitchen and I heard them cooing.  I walked to the back door and looked out and they were standing on the fan blades on our patio.  I could tell this wasn’t the pair of doves from last year because these have a perfect matching black ring around their neck.  I can also tell they had an extremely good winter because they are pleasantly plump.  I named them Fred and Ethel after the “I Love Lucy” characters.  My husband says it will be another summer of not enjoying that part of our patio while Fred and Ethel raise the babies.

As I looked at the doves it reminded me of how God promised to take care of us. I think too often we doubt God and don’t believe He will do what he says.  If as in Matthew 6:26 we are told to look at the birds of the air as our example, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them; why do we have such a hard time believing what God tells us; that He will take care of us. 

When I start to drift toward depending on my own skills, abilities and resources, God often draws me back to Him.  He often allows something to happen that reminds me who He is.  Think about it.  How many times have you saved and saved for a new house, car, air conditioner or any other number of things and just when you think you have enough to make the purchase something happens.  You get sick, your spouse loses their job, your car breaks down and then you have to reevaluate what you thought was your security. 

We should never place our faith in the money we have or how much we have the potential to make.  As I thought about Fred and Ethel it reminded me that they just showed up on the fan on our patio with nothing but themselves.  They didn’t bring any great resources, no retirement fund or nest egg.  They brought themselves.  They are going to use the twigs from last year’s nest and reinforce it with more and then lay their eggs and watch the babies hatch.  They are then going to teach their babies how to make it on their own and then they will leave. 

If you think about it we don’t bring much to the table either.  Money is fleeting and there is no security in it because it can be gone in an instant.  One disaster can wipe out everything we have ever worked for.  The one thing that is always constant is God.  He promises to take care of us and He will.  Everything in creation trusts God to take care of them; why don’t we?   Matthew 6:26 Are you not of more value than they? 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I fail sometimes because I fall back into thinking that I can provide everything I need in this world.  Remind me that You are the One who takes care of me.  It is not necessary for me to worry about any of it.  If I believe in Your promises then I need to trust that You will take care of me.  Everything else is fleeting and can be gone in an instant.  Help me to place my faith in You because You love me.   

    

Scripture: Therefore, Do Not Worry

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 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 not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  Matthew 6:25-34