Small Birds
The other day, while watching my son Nathaniel play a high school tennis match, I looked up and saw a surprising sight: a huge hawk was being chased through the air by five or six much smaller birds. It was quite a sight to see. After all, the hawk with its wingspan of three to four feet was huge and majestic looking. Often I’ve seen it in the area perched on the top of a tree or soaring through the air. At times, I’ve even seen it diving towards the ground in response to the sighting of some prey. But here it was, this majestic bird being chased by a small flock of little birds, each one no bigger than a small robin.
I don’t know much about ornithology, but I’m sure there was a reason for the chase (possibly the hawk was threatening the eggs or chicks of the smaller birds). What I do know, however, is that the hawk could have taken out those little birds pretty easily. It seemed to me that all it needed to do was turn around, go on the attack, and the little birds could have been quickly knocked to the ground. But instead, this huge, powerful hawk was being chased through the air by a small flock of much smaller and weaker birds.
Isn’t it true that, very often we find ourselves being chased by the small things of our lives? Rather than living like the “hawks” we have been created to be, we allow the small “birds” of life to chase us around. It’s not always the big things in life that threaten us and keep us on the run—i.e. the life and death situations (although at times they do come)—but more often it’s the worries and fears over the small things of life.
Jesus alluded to this when he said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?... Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:25, 27 - NIV)
I know that too often I allow the small “birds” of life to chase me around. Rather than living the way God has called me to live, I give into worry and fear, forgetting that I have a heavenly Father who has promised to take care of me. The same is probably true for you. But Jesus calls us to soar high above the situations of our lives; he calls us to take on a God’s-eye view of life, saying, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33-NIV)
I want to encourage you today to trust your heavenly Father with the situations of your life. See life from his perspective. Pursue the things that really matter. And, don’t allow yourself to be chased by the little “birds.”
Have a great day!
-Pastor Tim Harris
I don’t know much about ornithology, but I’m sure there was a reason for the chase (possibly the hawk was threatening the eggs or chicks of the smaller birds). What I do know, however, is that the hawk could have taken out those little birds pretty easily. It seemed to me that all it needed to do was turn around, go on the attack, and the little birds could have been quickly knocked to the ground. But instead, this huge, powerful hawk was being chased through the air by a small flock of much smaller and weaker birds.
Isn’t it true that, very often we find ourselves being chased by the small things of our lives? Rather than living like the “hawks” we have been created to be, we allow the small “birds” of life to chase us around. It’s not always the big things in life that threaten us and keep us on the run—i.e. the life and death situations (although at times they do come)—but more often it’s the worries and fears over the small things of life.
Jesus alluded to this when he said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?... Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:25, 27 - NIV)
I know that too often I allow the small “birds” of life to chase me around. Rather than living the way God has called me to live, I give into worry and fear, forgetting that I have a heavenly Father who has promised to take care of me. The same is probably true for you. But Jesus calls us to soar high above the situations of our lives; he calls us to take on a God’s-eye view of life, saying, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33-NIV)
I want to encourage you today to trust your heavenly Father with the situations of your life. See life from his perspective. Pursue the things that really matter. And, don’t allow yourself to be chased by the little “birds.”
Have a great day!
-Pastor Tim Harris
Comments
Post a Comment