May 11

A Lesson of Trust

Behold the fowls of the air ... your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? — Matt 6:26

Are we to draw the inference that since the birds neither sow nor reap, we should put forth no exertions to provide for our own wants? No: if we did nothing to earn our own bread we should soon starve. God would not feed us as He feeds the birds. He has bestowed upon us powers by which we can make provision for our own wants; He feeds us, not by bringing the bread to us, but by making us able to sow and reap and gather into barns. God nowhere encourages that “trust” which idly sits down and waits to be cared for. Little babies, and sick and infirm people, and any who are incapacitated for exertion, may live as the birds do, and may expect to be cared for. But hearty people, with active brains and strong hands, will fare very poorly if they try to live the birds’ way.

The point of the illustration lies elsewhere. God’s care extends even to birds. There are two reasons, then, why it will more certainly extend to His people. First, they are better than birds. Birds have no souls, do not bear the divine image, have so spiritual nature, cannot worship nor voluntarily serve God, have no future and immortal life. The God who cares for a little soulless bird will surely care much more thoughtfully for a thinking, immortal, godlike man.

Then the other reason is, that God is our Father. He is the creator and provider of the birds, but not their Father. Surely a father will do more for his children than for his chickens; a mother will give more thought to her baby than to her canary. Will not our heavenly Father provide more certainly and more tenderly for His children than for His birds? So from the birds we get a lesson of trust. Every little bird sitting on its bough, or singing its sweet song, ought to lead us to renewed confidence in the care of our Father.