April 17, 2020

Trusting Your Heavenly Father

By Skip Heitzig

One of the great things about watching my grandchildren grow up is seeing how they don't worry about where their next meal is coming from or if they'll have clothes for tomorrow. They have Mom and Dad; there's a relationship, and they know there's going to be provision.

In Matthew 6, Jesus promised us a relationship with the Father. Let's jump in at verses 24-25: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [or money]. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life."

Jesus kicked things off by saying, "I am to be the Master of your life. And if I am the Master of your life, worrying is absolutely unnecessary." And that's true, right? Just think about it: if He created everything and owns everything (see Psalm 24:1), that means He can provide people with anything.

But He's more than your Master; He's your heavenly Father. That implies a relationship. "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? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit [eighteen inches] to his stature?... Therefore do not worry…. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things" (vv. 26-27, 31-32).

That's the phrase I don't want you to miss: your heavenly Father. You have a God who promises to take care of you, because He is your Father (see Matthew 6:6, 8-9). God is not the birds' Father; He is their Creator. You, on the other hand, have a relationship with Him as both one who is created and one who is His child. If your Father feeds the birds, don't you think He's going to take care of you, too?

What did it cost God to make you His child? His own Son (see John 3:16). If God spared no expense in saving you, don't you think He's going to take care of you through thick and thin? Think of how irrational our thinking can be: We believe God can save us from hell. We believe God can break the shackles of sin. We believe He can take us to heaven. Yet we're not so sure He can take care of us this week.

But if He can do the big stuff, then the rest of the stuff follows. Romans 8:32 puts it this way: "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" No bird can claim the kind of relationship you have with God. No bird has been redeemed. As one of God's kids, you don't need to be worried.

I challenge you to personalize God's care for you this next week. The next time you hear or see a bird, I want you to stop and say, "He's not your heavenly Father; He's my heavenly Father. He's your Creator, but He's my dad." Anyone who overhears you might think you're a bit strange, but I don't think you'll forget it anytime soon.

For more from Skip Heitzig, visit ConnectwithSkip.com, and listen to today's broadcast of Connect with Skip Heitzig at OnePlace.com.