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 6:26 (NIV)
As I opened my Bible one chilly winter morning, I heard in my mind, “Child, you know me, and I am watching.”
Watching what, Lord?
Instinctively, I thought of a purchase I made the day before for my pregnant daughter. An item was scanned twice on my receipt, so I asked a store clerk to adjust my purchase. However, as I was leaving, I saw I had failed to scan an item. Ugh! My patience cracked like thin ice. I wanted to get home, but instead, I walked to the customer service line and waited (tapping my foot) and paid for the balance. Was the Lord watching my honesty?
Turning in my devotion, I read how the Father encourages us not to worry.
He cares for His children as He tends to feeding tiny birds. Just then, an image came to my mind of a mother bird standing over her hatchlings with her wings sheltering her young from dangerous prey. Then, she fed each one with her beak as they craned their necks for the next worm.
As comforting as that image seemed, my head swirled with worry. Could I afford to pay our bills? Would I have the means to help my family? Like a mother bird, I wanted to care for my daughter’s needs. Was this the manner God meant when he said, “I am watching?”
Tears smarted my eyes. Lord, I have You all wrong. I viewed You as a hawk catching me in a mistake. Instead, You look over me like a loving mother hen.
God covers us with His comforting wings, warding off attacks from our enemies. At times, that enemy is my own lack of faith.
He restores our peace by providing us with everything we need. We need to rest in our nest and wait for His loving care. Wherever God has placed us amid a storm, feeling the pang of loneliness, or having a genuine physical need, God assures us. Look at those little creatures who don’t even work, but trust God will provide.
Be comforted that God embraces you like a mother hen rather than devour you with the sharp eyes of a hungry hawk. Help me rest in this thought; You are watching me.
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