March 28, 2007
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Bird Watching
Today was a financially ‘challenging’ day! I found my thoughts wandering to all the ‘what ifs’ of our financial future. I had to reign them in more than once and remind myself NOT to worry about tomorrow.I’m not even promised tomorrow. Today is all I have been given … really only this moment because I’m not even promised my next breath. I laid down after lunch to rest my feet and pulled out John Piper’s book called, What Jesus Demands from the World. The chapter I chose to read was called “Do not be anxious about the necessities of daily life”. What a blessing!
“The second reason Jesus gives for not being anxious is in Matthew 6:26: “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?” What we see when we look at the birds is not a lesson in laziness. They dig their worms and snatch their bugs and pad their nests with strings and leaves. But Jesus says it is God who feds them. Birds don’t anxiously hoard things as though God will not do the same tomorrow. They go about their work – and we should go about our work – as though, when the sun comes up tomorrow, God will still be God.”
I was very blessed by this exhortation! It reminded me to keep focused on what God has called me to do today and not to worry about tomorrow. I have a loving heavenly Father who knows what I need. I need only to trust and obey!
I looked out the kitchen windows and watched a covering of dark clouds fill the sky. It seemed so gloomy and dark! But, suddenly, my eyes noticed an opening in the distance. Through the opening there peered glorious prisms of bright rainbow colors! It reminded me of heaven. Oh, yes, Lord! I remember! This is not my home!These small trials will not last forever. The trials of this life will soon be over and I will be HOME! My real home! Praise His glorious Name!
Comments (12)
Thankyou for that beautiful illustration. What I thought of is how it takes faith to see beyond the dark clouds that surround us at times, but beyond those clouds is the provision of God. It hasn’t gone away it is just obsured by the clouds but it is still there.
I loved your post. I love reading John Piper, however, I have not read that book. vb
>>”Through the opening there peered glorious prisms of bright rainbow colors!”<< That is such a nice gift you received. God bless, ~Irene
Thanks for coming to my site and for leaving a comment. I listen to Piper on my MP3 player with the files I download from his site. But I have read a few of his books. I don’t have much time for reading right now, but know that will change as the babies get older. So far I have read, The Dangerous Duty of Delight, Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die, The Pleasures of God, The Justification of God and The Innkeeper (one of my favorites). I guess I had never really stopped to think about what it meant that two year and under children were murdered. I glossed over that as I read of the daring escape to Eygpt and that our Lord was hidden for a while. But I often think now of how I would have felt if my son was ripped from my arms and murdered in my sight. That is a picture not easily erased. I love reading your posts and look forward to them. vb
Praying for an abundant blessing in your finances!
I look to those little breaks in the clouds too! As His light shining through.. letting me know that He is there, even in the storms.
I don’t think your looking out the window at that moment was a coincidence!
Praise Him! This reminds me so much of my reading John 6 this morning. Loaves and fishes. When there is a lack, give whatever you have to Jesus (which I’m sure you do), and He will provide abundantly in His timing (12 full baskets left over). Then verse 27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life…” Take comfort in the fact that you do that, too. And then v 31 “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” Yes, daily, like you said. He provides just what we need as we need it. And then the whole end of the chapter about our union with Him, consuming Him, partaking of Him, abiding in Him. Not religious ritual but an entirely new life joined with Him. Spirit and life! His ways are so not our ways, and we know when we look back on past struggles, that we wouldn’t have it any other way than His. I don’t mean to be preachy, but I know, Georgene, that the Lord ministers greatly to you through the Word, just like He does to me. With the Word is the only way I know to comfort or encourage. Remembering Truth together. And finally, you said it all when you said, “This is not my home!” ~Pam
You’re into John Piper right now…I’m still not through the wasting your life book…I took your suggestion and downloaded it, but think I will just buy the book, just because it’s easier to handle in bed than a bunch of pieces of computer paper. Great book, though!
Praying that God sorts out things for you, we too are struggling, three teenagers getting ready for college and we will have major challenges. I am trying to trust God, and yet I have to rein my thoughts in daily.
Heather
John Piper’s works are such a blessing. Thank you for the reminder that the Lord has each moment and we are under His care. O that we would cast all our cares upon Him.
Blessings,
Gina
Just browsing blogs and wanted to say hi, you have a wonderful site. I have been blessed by it. thank you for sharing.
God Bless you.
Oooohh! I LOVE John Piper’s writing, but I have not seen that book before. I’ll have to look into it. Have been offline for a while. Love your blogs ‘new’ look!!
Beth
Good post! We tend to borrow the worries of tomorrow. Yes we need to prepare for tomorrow but not worry about it.
Have a good weekend.