Day 21 — Look at the Birds

“Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

— Matthew 6:26 (BSB)

What do you worry about? Maybe it’s a test next week. Maybe it’s whether people like you. Maybe it’s something at home, or something you saw in the news. Everybody worries sometimes, kids included.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about worry. And He did something surprising: He told everyone to go bird-watching.

“Look at the birds of the air,” He said. Birds don’t plant gardens. They don’t harvest crops or store food in barns. They don’t have jobs or bank accounts. And yet they don’t starve. Why? “Your heavenly Father feeds them.”

Then Jesus asked a simple question: “Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Of course you are! God cares about sparrows, but you are His child. If He takes care of birds, how much more will He take care of you?

Jesus also said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Worrying doesn’t change anything. It’s like a rocking chair: it keeps you busy, but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Worry can’t fix tomorrow. It just steals the joy from today.

So what should we do instead? A few verses later, Jesus says: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). In other words, put God first, and trust Him with the rest.

This doesn’t mean you’ll never have problems, or that you shouldn’t work hard or plan ahead. Birds work hard to find their food! It means you don’t have to carry the weight of worry. You have a Father who knows what you need and cares about you.

When worry comes, you can turn it into a prayer. Tell God what you’re worried about. Then leave it with Him, and remember the birds.

Think about it: What’s one thing you’ve been worried about lately? What would it look like to trust God with it?

Try this: Go outside and watch birds for a few minutes today. Every time you see one, remember: “My Father feeds them, and I’m worth more to Him than they are.”

Dear Father, thank You for taking care of the birds, and thank You that I am even more valuable to You. I’m worried about [tell Him]. I give this worry to You. Help me seek You first and trust You with everything else. In Jesus’ name, Amen.