KARI STAINBACK | GUEST
This morning a nest of baby finches on my patio exploded with activity. Wild finches love to nest on my third-floor patio behind my wall lamp. I assume they see it as a safe place to start off their family, out of sight and away from so many natural dangers. I hear the baby birds’ squeaky chirps and the joyful songs of their mom and dad sing as they happily share the responsibility of feeding these tiny babies. How amazing that the finches know just where to build a secure nest to establish their offspring. Each parent cares for and warms the eggs until the baby birds hatch. They both know just what to feed the little ones so that, in two weeks or so, they will be ready to leave the nest and learn to fly. But for those two weeks, referred to as the “fledgling stage” the baby birds still depend on their parents to provide for them.
No doubt, Jesus also observed this amazing creation phenomenon with birds knowing that His Father, the God of all Creation, wisely made the birds with this innate wisdom to procreate and provide for their young so well. After all, the Father is the first cause, the Provider for these birds in season and out of season. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 6:26-27:
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? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
A Father Who Cares for His Children
The Father certainly feeds the birds and takes care of us. We can easily see how He takes care of us when we have all we need. But what about those times when the resources we typically depend on dry up, and from your viewpoint all looks impossible. Maybe you are looking for a job and only have months before your bank account is empty. Perhaps you have received an unexpected medical diagnosis, and you do not know who to turn to next. Or you watched your retirement fund plummet in the recent market roller coaster, and you fear your life span will outlast the sufficiency of your savings. Perhaps your child struggles with loneliness and feels isolated without close friends. Or your marriage is dry as a bone. There is no common interest or love between you and your spouse anymore and you do not know what else to do. The lists of things that make us anxious go on and on, right?
Jesus makes a key statement that helps so much in this battle with anxiety we all face. Referring to the birds, “Are you not of more value than they?” It’s a question with strong implied answer, “YES”! Yet, how does knowing we are valued by our Heavenly Father help us with our worries and concerns in this life?
Years ago, I called my father for some advice. He immediately picked up the phone as he always did. But this time he said, “I have a banker on the other line, talking to him about a big loan our business really needs.” He mentioned the amount and it was a lot of money at that time and would be even more in today’s economy. He said, “I’ll call you back, but I want you to know, you are so much more valuable to me than this loan.” What a gift Dad gave me that day. He let me know my value and his great love for me. And in that love, though from an earthly father who is now in heaven with Jesus, I have found a security as His daughter that is hard to describe.
Secure in Our Father’s Love
If an earthly father can give his daughter, the gift of valuing her well how much more does our Heavenly Father value us? And how much more secure are we in knowing the Father is taking perfect care of us at every minute of every single day? Infinitely more!
It is a promise we can count on. We can be confident that God knows and provides for us despite our anxieties. Our Heavenly Father provides for us out of his great love and the infinite value he places on us as His beloved daughters.
How do we know this is true? Because the Father demonstrated His great love for us and the value He places on His undeserving children, by sacrificing His only Son to suffer and die for us on the cross. Jesus rose to life on the third day having conquered the greatest enemies of all, sin, and death, so we might be free from their enslavement. Jesus died that we might live in Him and with Him for all eternity. All our needs, both now and forever, are taken care of because we are so valuable to our Father.
May we rest in this truth as we celebrate this Father’s Day.
Photo by Robin Teng on Unsplash
