Valued
Greg Spires – Teaching Pastor
Matthew 6:26 compares us to birds. That might seem a little strange at first. However, the comparison is intended to teach us something about God. Here is the verse, “Look 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?”
First, it tells us to “look at the birds.” Make some observations about birds. Do they go to work? Do they make a mortgage payment? Do they have a 401k? Of course not. But they seem to live and move according to their design, without a care in the world it seems.
How do they eat? Is it just ecology and environment? Not according to the Bible. The verse above makes it clear that “your heavenly Father feeds them.” Every bird on planet earth is eating because God feeds that bird the food it needs. God’s involvement in His creation is close and intimate. He is mindful of every creature He has made.
Pay attention to the last question of Matthew 6:26, “Are you not of more value than they?” What is the answer to that question? Are you of more value than the birds God feeds?
First, of more value to whom? The question is posed in such a way for us to wonder this: Does God value us more than He values the birds? No answer is given, but the question assumes the answer is Yes! So, the logic is straightforward. Since God values birds enough to care for them personally; and, since God values us more than the birds; therefore, we can assume God personally cares for us to a greater degree than the birds.
What is the application of this truth to our daily lives? How do we respond to God since the Bible says He cares for us in a personal way because He values us so highly?
The Bible tells us how to apply this truth in Matthew 6:31, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” The way we worship God in response to His loving care is to turn our worries over to Him. We may not like the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We may not know what the future holds. However, we can trust that God is personally involved in the smallest of details in our lives and that He cares for us more than we could imagine.
When our life and the world around us offer only questions about what the future holds, God offers us the truth of what the present holds: He is with us, He cares for us, and He knows exactly what we are going through.
I look forward to being with you this Sunday as we celebrate the work of God in Jesus Christ together! This Sunday, we will be seeking God through His Word in Malachi 3:6-12.
See you Sunday,
Greg
