Free of Care - A Devotional by Norma Gail

Free of Care

“And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:20-21 

“They’re playing.” My husband stood next to me looking out over the valley behind our house. Our home sits high on the side of a mountain, an aerie nestled among the trees.

We watched in silence as a pair of hawks flew by the window at eye level, close enough to see their bright, alert eyes shining in the sun. More birds joined in, playing on the wind. Sometimes they hovered in one place with wings spread wide, as if no effort was required. Their cries and calls floated down, as they played, jubilant in the ecstasy of doing what they alone were created to do. God’s creation is a marvelous thing, infinite in its variety and magnitude, each form unique and special.

Jesus used birds to illustrate how trusting and free of care about the necessities of life a Christian should be. In Matthew 6:26, 27, He said, “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?”

Higher taxes, health insurance, and fuel prices add to the daily worries as we struggle to make ends meet. The mail is full of bills to pay and catalogs tempting us to spend. Television makes us think life will not be complete without clothes, cars, and exotic vacations. It increases the pressure we feel, the worry and care of planning for our future.

Amid it all, Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Our chief aim is to know God and glorify Him, to wear His yoke, which is easy and His burden which is light.

When I take time to watch sunsets, hug my children, and watch birds in flight, I worry less because I see the handiwork of God and remember His care. I gain a better perspective than I get from the evening news.

God takes joy in His creation doing what He intended it to do. Seek Him first, and you will feel His joy, not the weight of your own burden. You will soar with eagle’s wings above the worries of the world when you live as He created you to.

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, October 24, 2013.

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