‘Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6: 25-26 NRSV
A friend recently told me that she had given up watching the news, and found that her outlook on life improved tremendously. While I do believe it is important to know what is going on in the world, and that the news serves a worthwhile function, I understand why she “fasted” from daily news consumption.
The reason? A great deal of the news we consume is delivered with an alarmist tone. It is almost “extra, extra, read all about it”. Much of the news is not so much objective, but from a strong opinion viewpoint. It can feel like most news items come with a flashing warning message: “Now worry about THIS!”
Jesus does not want us to worry, or to be anxious. Instead, here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encourages faith and trust in God the Father. An example of how the Lord cares for us is found by looking upward, to the birds of the air. They don’t seem to fuss and worry. I have never seen a single bird engage in farming! They might eat something from a human farmer’s crop, but they don’t try to “farm” themselves: sowing, cultivating, and so on. Yet, the Lord takes care of the birds, in spite of their “carefree” attitude.
Contemporary musician Cory Asbury was so inspired by this Matthew 6:25 scripture that he wrote a song based upon it. The name of his song? “Sparrows”. According to the K-Love radio station website, “The singer began to realize he is a son of God, we are all children of God, and it all began to make sense. Asbury said, "He is the Father, we don't have to make it on our own. We are being held." The song is about placing your trust in God and not worrying about tomorrow.”
Here is a lyric video of the song, in case you would like to listen to it:
Cory Asbury - Sparrows (Lyric Video) One of my new favorite songs! I just had to make a lyric video for it! I'm really looking forward to the album releasing July 31, \"To Love a Fool.\" I really wish you would take the time to like, subscribe, share, and comment since I was making this video for about 45 minutes all for you guys. I hope you get encouraged by this song and like it ... www.youtube.com
Many of us also think of the wonderful hymn that has a line, “His eye is on the sparrow, and He watches over me”. In the spring, we watch all the birds appear after the winter. At our house, we have a nest of little birds emerging in our birdhouse. To think, Jesus cares enough about such little creatures to mention them in a sermon! Think about how much more he cares for us…
The next time we are presented with the option to worry, falling into a state of constant and maybe paralyzing anxiety about our lives, remember the words Jesus spoke. We are called to live responsibly, following His life-giving and freeing teachings. We are to place our trust in His promises. He does see the details in our lives, and here He is reminding us to place our worries in His hands. We need to remember the sparrows. God takes care of them, and God will take care of us… without our worrying about it!
Prayer
Lord of all creation,
So many people in our world fret and worry all the time. You know that I have fallen into the trap from time to time. When that happens, remind me to turn to you. Help me to turn over my burdens- the cares and concerns weighing upon my mind- into your tender and loving care. Your Word tells me that You care about even the smallest detail of my life. Therefore, I need not worry about anything. Help me to be as carefree as the birds of the air! I pray this prayer in Your holy name. Amen.
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