Day 11. A Lesson of Trust
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"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
Are we to draw the inference that since the birds neither sow nor reap — that we should put forth no exertions to provide for our own needs? No! if we did nothing to earn our own bread — we would soon starve. God does not feed us — as He feeds the birds. He has bestowed upon us abilities by which we can make provision for our own needs; He feeds us, not by bringing the bread to us — but by making us able to sow and reap and gather into barns. God nowhere encourages that "trust" which idly sits down and waits to be cared for. Little babies, and sick and infirm people, and any who are incapacitated for exertion, may live as the birds do, and may expect to be cared for. But hearty people, with active brains and strong hands, will fare very poorly — if they try to live the birds' way.
The point of the illustration lies elsewhere. God's care extends even to birds. There are two reasons, then, why it will more certainly extend to His redeemed people. First, they are better than birds. Birds . . .
have no souls,
do not bear the divine image,
have so spiritual nature,
cannot worship nor voluntarily serve God,
have no future and immortal life.
The God who cares for a little soulless bird — will surely care much more thoughtfully for His thinking, immortal, godlike child.
Then the other reason is, that God is our Father. He is the creator and provider of the birds — but not their Father. Surely a father will do more for his children — than for his chickens! Surely a mother will give more thought to her baby — than to her canary! Will not our heavenly Father provide more certainly and more tenderly for His children — than for His birds? So from the birds — we get a lesson of trust. Every little bird sitting on its bough, or singing its sweet song, ought to lead us to renewed confidence in the care of our kind and gracious Heavenly Father.
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