It’s been particularly cold and frosty outside, and we’ve even had some snow lying on the ground. As a tropical parrot with roots in deepest Senegal, just the mere sight of it has made me fluff up all my feathers!
Meanwhile, the bird feeders outside my window have never been busier. Entire squadrons of hungry birds come in every day to feast on sunflower kernels, suet cakes, fat balls and goodness knows what else. It’s a bit like ‘Picadilly Circus’ out there. These birds are having a hard time right now, but their saving grace is that they’ve come to realise that my owner is a friend to them. He feeds and cares for them on a daily basis; so much so, that a load of them sit in the trees outside, waiting for him to replenish the feeders.
God cares for all of His creation in much the same way, but a great many humans don’t see this. Okay, God doesn’t turn up each morning to deliver everyone’s breakfast, but He certainly has everyone’s best interests at heart. And that’s something that all humans need to know, especially when times get tough and the chill winds blow. God’s food is spiritual, and His gift to us all is Salvation through Jesus. But we still need faith if we’re to embrace what He offers. The same kind of faith that the outside birds have in my owner.
Those Three Wise Men had amazing faith. They set off on their journeys believing that the star signified a divine event. They had no idea where they would end up. They didn’t know what would happen to them the following day, the following week, or six months down the line. They couldn’t foresee how they would be changed or affected by the journeys that they were making. But they kept on going because each of them carried a modicum of faith inside that led them to the Messiah. And I guess that those three Wise Men were called ‘wise’ for a very good reason! So I reckon that’s our challenge for the year ahead; to show a bit more trust and faith in God and Jesus instead of thinking that this world is all there is…….
“When we put our faith in God, we are never lost, not even in the darkest times.”
(Max Lucado: [1955 – present]: American pastor, Christian evangelist and author.)
“To trust in God in the light is nothing, but trust Him in the dark, that is faith.”
(Charles Spurgeon: [1834 – 1892]: English Baptist preacher, still referred to today as ‘The Prince of Preachers.’)
“We must trust an unknown future to a known God.”
(Corrie ten Boon: [1892 – 1983]: Dutch Christian writer who survived internment in a World War 2 Nazi concentration camp.)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28: 20)
Note: Coco’s taking a break next week, so his next blog will come out on
Comments