A meditation on Matthew 6:26
"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?"
Jesus, why did
you illustrate this lesson with birds? Why
not a deer or lion or mouse? My thoughts are
led to Genesis 1 and I see it; creatures of the air were made on the 5th
day, the number representing grace. By definition, grace is undeserved favor,
charity or kindness. It’s the getting of
something we didn’t work for or earn. Indeed,
the birds are recipients of grace, never having to learn how to plow a field or
thresh wheat to fill their bellies.
Their food is “graced” to them, given by a loving Creator who sustains
them without fail by His own hand.
And Jesus, what
of the sowing and reaping and storing away, the work that birds never have to
contend with? Why thrice emphasize the laboring on the land? A few minutes of meditating
on that question and I find the connection.
Land animals, including man, were created on the 6th day, a
number that often represents rebellion and turning away from God’s ordained
plan. It’s also significant that after
the fall of Eden, the serpent was cursed to be a dust-dweller and Adam was
bound to work the earth in oppressive toil.
That’s the cycle that replaced the 5th day’s grace… the
sowing and reaping and storing away, all efforts stemming from our own strength
and ingenuity. All roots growing out of
the curse and seeds for worry about supply.
In that moment of insurrection at the fruited tree, the
6 days of glorious handiwork that God had unfolded for us to enjoy were abruptly
halted. The crowning 7th day
of rest became nothing more than a mirage at the end of thorny fields to
ever-plow. My heart is heavy at the
realization of man’s plight and the depth to which rebellion has brought ruin
to our world. But I’m nudged to keep
reading. There’s more to uncover here. The verse ends with a question… Are you not much more valuable than they?...
as if to ask us what we know about our standing in the heart of God. So I take up the thought and ask myself, “What do I know about my value in
God’s eyes? How great is His love for
me, even in the midst of my journey through this sin-harrowed world?

As the caffeine disperses my mental fog, the marrow
of the Word begins to satisfy my spiritual hunger. Light is breaking through the trees and filtering
into my heart. I see it, Lord. Why so many
times you tell us not to worry. Anxious
thoughts are like a trail of breadcrumbs back to thorny ground. They return me to a place that I have been
freed from, once and for all. For a
child of God, the 6th day is no longer a place where supply is
strangled. We are given “It is good”
land to cultivate again. The enemy is so
limited now. He can only stumble us with
doubts about the efficacy of Jesus’ work and lure us back to the lamentably comfortable
“bootstrap” approach to life. But the grace covenant has no loopholes, no
addendums made after the fact, no leaven of the law. And because the Father sent His beloved Son,
the highest ransom that could possibly be paid, there is no question that the
debt has been paid in full.
It’s time to get the kids up and tackle the new day
with a fresh revelation about my Father’s tender love and detailed attention to
my needs. I see that as God’s child, my worrying
about shoes or job interviews is like a sparrow trying to plow a field. Neither will produce fruit, just aimless toil
and wasted time. As I spend time
remembering that my value is far above the birds of the air, anxious thoughts
suddenly lose their sway. Today, I’m trellising
on redeemed ground at the cross, reaching my tendrils out for the sure arms of
Jesus where the gifts of grace and rest await my return.
You has a great blog. I'm very interesting to stopping here and leaves you a comment. Good work.
ReplyDeleteLets keep writing and blogging
Nb: Dont forget to leave your comment back for us.
Absolutely beautiful, Jen. Thank you for your insight and your gift with words.
ReplyDeleteJohn
Thank you, John :-) Writing is a double blessing for me....first to the reader, to encourage, and second for me, to give back to God what He has put into my heart through the Holy Spirit.
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