Last week I reflected on the 8 years I've spent at Life in Christ. God has blessed our church in that time period and He has richly blessed me and my family. When I arrived in January 2005, the church met in a house that was remodeled to accommodate as many people as possible. There was no parking lot; folks just parked wherever they could find a spot. Some found shade under the many citrus trees on the property, others on the grass in what was the back yard. We all made do, as they say, and we were happy.
My office was actually the master bedroom of the house. It was good sized and had a window from which I could see the front yard and, beyond that, busy 75th Avenue. At that time we would receive each week a fresh supply of irrigation water. It took about 2 to 3 hours for the water to cover our 1.1 acres.
What was so interesting to me was the scene that followed the irrigation. I had the chance each week to watch our front yard become a bird buffet!
It seems that as the water covered the property, grub worms would rise to the surface. This was followed by a variety of birds who would wade through the water in search of a meal. And wow, did they ever eat! I think I heard a couple of those birds belch! What was certainly true was that the birds ate until they could eat no more.
That little scene always reminded me of Matthew 6:26 - 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?
The answer is much, much more valuable!
In fact, the Apostles' Creed and its explanation shows us just how valuable we are to God. The First Article points out that we are so valuable that God provides for our every need in this life. He does this, as Martin Luther writes, "only out of fatherly divine goodness and mercy." We are so valuable to God that, according to the Second Article, God gave His only Son to be our Redeemer from sin, death and the power of the devil. This happened so that you and I might be God's very own son or daughter. We are so valuable to God that the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit, who calls us by the Gospel to believe in their precious promises. And the Spirit continues to feed our faith so that we trust God more and more and worry less and less.
There are no simple answers to overcoming worry and Jesus doesn't offer a one-step, easy solution to overcoming fear and anxiety. But He is teaching us in Matthew 6 to remember who we are and whose we are. We are God's sons and daughters. We belong to Him through the miracle of baptism. We are valuable to Him. Don't worry. Trust God. Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
