Needs can loom so large they take over every thought. Jesus points to the birds His Father feeds, and Hebrews reveals a crown that shows how precious you are in God’s sight.
By Dianna Hobbs
Jesus pointed to the birds of the air to show how much more the Father values you.
I woke up this morning grateful for two things. Yesterday was my parents’ wedding anniversary, Mom’s second without Daddy. When we talked, I could hear in her voice how much she missed him. Yet we laughed together, and she told me she was trusting God and doing alright. That blessed me. I’m thankful for the way the Lord is comforting and strengthening her through this season.
The second thing was some relief from my left hip pain.
If you’ve been following my blog, you know this lingering illness has brought some intense body aches. But that left hip? Oh, my.
I’ve been walking and wincing day after day. My pain tolerance is quite high, but there have been moments I wanted to cry. So when I noticed the ache had eased, even a little, that was my second thread of gratitude today. And I believe that soon, the pain will be gone.
I also made a firm decision this morning. Whatever my hip feels like, I’m going to trust God with it. He’s got me, and I believe I’ll be okay.
When I sat down for my morning devotion, Matthew 6 reinforced that very decision. Jesus tells His disciples, “Take no thought for your life” (v. 25, KJV).
That phrase, take no thought, comes from the Greek word merimnaō, which means to be anxious or troubled with cares. Jesus was addressing the kind of worry that occupies our minds and keeps us preoccupied with our circumstances.
He used the same word with Martha. While Mary sat at His feet, Martha was busy serving and upset that her sister wasn’t helping. Jesus told her, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things” (Luke 10:41, KJV).
That word careful is merimnaō. Jesus lovingly redirected Martha’s attention to what mattered most, and He does the same thing in Matthew 6.
The people listening to Him needed food, water, and clothing. These were daily necessities, and for many, securing them was a struggle. Jesus understood their needs, and He wanted them to see something greater.
He asked, “Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Matthew 6:25, KJV).
That word more is the Greek pleion, meaning greater. Your life is greater than the food you need to sustain it. Your body is greater than the clothing you need to cover it. The God who gave you something as precious as life itself can be trusted with the necessities of that life.
In the same passage, Jesus points to the lilies of the field. God clothes them in beauty, and He values you even more.
Then Jesus points to the birds.
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them” (v. 26, KJV).
The birds don’t plant crops or store up harvests, yet God faithfully feeds them. Jesus follows with a question that spoke so powerfully to my heart this morning: “Are ye not much better than they?”
There it is again. Jesus is talking about our value.
If the Father cares that much for the birds, consider how much more He cares for us.
Sometimes our needs and concerns loom so large that they dominate our thoughts. We become consumed with what is wrong, what is missing, what might happen, and how everything will work out.
That is the anxious preoccupation Jesus warns against.
He lifts our eyes from our circumstances and reminds us of our value to our Heavenly Father.
The God who created you knows exactly what you need. He knows the situation you’re facing, the burden weighing on you, and the things that concern you most. And He places tremendous value on your life.
As Jesus assures His disciples a few verses later, “your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:32, KJV).
As I sat studying by lamplight early this morning, the Lord directed my attention to Hebrews 2:6–7, which is the sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration:
“But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands.”
The writer of Hebrews is quoting David in Psalm 8. David had been looking up at the heavens, marveling at the moon and stars God set in place. He was amazed that the Creator of such a vast universe would be mindful of human beings.
The God who set the moon in its place keeps you on His mind.
Yet He is. God thinks about us. He watches over us. He has crowned humanity with glory and honor and given us authority over the works of His hands.
Hebrews goes on to show us Jesus. The Son of God took on our humanity, was made a little lower than the angels, and tasted death for every one of us. Now He is crowned with glory and honor (v. 9).
The Creator of the heavens and the earth sent His own Son for us. There is no greater proof that we are on His mind and precious in His sight.
The birds are fed by the Father’s hand, but Scripture speaks of humanity as crowned. We hold a special place in God’s creation, and that brings even greater meaning to Jesus’ question: “Are ye not much better than they?”
That’s what encouraged me this morning as I thought about my mother, my health, and the many things I’ve been praying about. There are things I’m believing God to change and questions I cannot yet answer. But I can face them with confidence, knowing how much my Heavenly Father cares for me.
And I want you to have that same confidence.
As you drink down the contents of your cup, remember this: The God who feeds the birds is mindful of you. Whatever has been crowding your thoughts, you can entrust it to the Father who knows you, loves you, and values you.
I’m entrusting mine to Him too. Hip pain and all.
Now, let’s pray.
Father, thank You for loving me and caring about every detail of my life. You know my needs before I even speak them. Today, I surrender every burden and every concern to You. When worry tries to overwhelm my thoughts, remind me that I am precious in Your sight. Help me trust Your provision and face each day with confidence, knowing my life is in Your capable hands.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
