Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 8:26
When I was in high school, my chemistry teacher introduced
us to the Periodic Table by saying, “I know there is a God because there is
such order in all of this.” I love to go bird watching and study about birds
and nature. I have been intrigued to learn about the delicate balances in
nature. When the Swainson’s Hawk arrives exhausted and hungry in South America
(flying over 2000 miles non-stop) for its fall migration, it has not eaten
since it left our shores. When it finally lands, there are grasshoppers passing
through that area at just that particular time, and the hawk has protein rich
food immediately available. In the
recent documentary movie “March of the Penquins”, I learned that just at the
time when the baby penguins are close to starvation, the adult males (their temporary
babysitters) produce a single milky ball that is fed to the chicks and sustains
them until the adult females return and take over the feeding again. There is a
small fish that swims up the Missouri River channel in the fall between Council
Bluffs and Sioux City. When the temperature drops, and the small oxbow lakes
connected to the river freeze, these fish die, and the migrating eagles and
ospreys use them for part of their food source during their migrations. Over
and over in nature, there occur these strategic timings and events that make
survival possible. The last line of one of my favorite songs is “His eye is on
the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” May we find joy in the fact that our
God is intimately involved in the details of the world and as HE watches over
his creation, He also watches over us with His same great love and care.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the wonderful
examples you give us of your love. Help us know how precious we are to you and
let us praise you for the great things you have done.
Nancy Hall (reprinted from 2008 devotional)
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