Taught by Turkeys

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading titled, Taught by Turkeys, was written by Adam Huls. Do you know what a group of turkeys is called?

It's called a rafter. Why am I writing about turkeys? Because I've just returned from a weekend at a mountain cabin. Each day I marveled at the train of turkeys parading past our porch. I'd never turkey watched before. They scratched fiercely with spectacular talons. Then they hunted and pecked at the ground. Eating, I assume, since this was my first turkey observation time, I wasn't 100% positive.

The scrawny scrubs in the area didn't look like they could sustain anything. Yet there were these turkeys, a dozen of them, all of which looked delectably plump. Watching those well-fed turkeys brought to mind Jesus' words in 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? Jesus uses God's provision for seemingly worthless birds to remind us of His care for us. If a bird's life matters, how much more does ours? Jesus then contrasts fretting about our daily needs with a life in which we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, one in which we're confident of His rich provision for our needs. Because if God can care for that rafter of wild turkeys, He can certainly look after you and me.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Matthew chapter 6 verses 25-34. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? 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?

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the fields grow.

They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of his servants. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Let's pray. Father, replace our worry and fear with faith and trust. When we struggle, thank you for being there for us and for caring for us. Help us to remember all of the times you provided for us in the past, so that we are better able to trust you when we start to feel afraid in the future. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.