Don't Worry, Be Happy

Emotions, the good, the bad and the sad, bombard me at Christmas time. Friday before Christmas, started out with the sad. I thought of the families in Newtown, Connecticut who grieve instead of celebrate. I thought about the homeless people and the kids in the Children's Receiving Home who will spend Christmas away from their parents for one reason or another. My heart was heavy until I walked outside.

A loud bird chatter caused me to look up to the power lines above. Hundreds of birds reminded me of something Jesus said. "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 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 6:24-34 

It was as if God used the birds to let me know that He is in control. I looked down the street both ways and the birds were only over my house. 

Thank you, Father God, for sending the birds. I will trust You with all my heart and not my own understanding. Please comfort the grieving, homeless and lonely. In Jesus' name, Amen.

From Grumbling to Thanksgiving

When the Egyptians came to the Red Sea to attack Israel, they had weapons. Israel had God, and He defeated Egypt. Do you think Israel trusted God after that? Not really. Moses listened to their whining and complaining, "What will we eat? What will we drink? Where is God? Where's the meat?" Sounds like a bunch of kids doesn't it?

I'm trying to get a picture of this: More than 600,000 people in the desert. No McDonalds, no Starbucks and no Diet Coke. I probably would have complained too. Yet God drew water out of a rock, manna from Heaven and quail flew into Israel's hands. The Israelite's clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

Application
We can be thankful because God really cares about His people. Jesus said, "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 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 6:25-26 NIV)

Prayer
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us and providing for us and protecting us. We could not live a minute or an hour or a day without your love. Amen.