I got up early one morning while on vacation.
My husband and I were celebrating our fifteenth wedding anniversary, and we had booked a night at a hotel overlooking the ocean. For weeks, I had anticipated watching the sunrise from our balcony. I love beautiful displays of nature, but I wasn’t prepared for what I’d encounter that morning.
I sat in peace and listened to the calming sound of the waves. Their rhythm set me at ease. My breathing steadied as I enjoyed the smell of the fresh ocean breeze. The colors in view changed steadily from one beautiful display to the next. But it was the birds flying over the ocean that brought tears to my eyes.
Flying without a care in the world, practically dancing over the ocean’s waters in togetherness, freely enjoying the beauty of the morning hours, they stirred me to live every day with the same assurance that God holds my life in His hands.
God created the rhythms of this world and filled them with beauty. He cares for His creation. If we doubt it, all we must do is take one look at the birds who do not question where they will find their next meal.
Even more, God will take care of us. I felt a load of pressure and anxiety lift from my shoulders that morning. I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful colors of the sky, ever changing, but never ceasing to amaze me. I followed the birds’ play for quite some time. And I prayed, “Lord, I trust you. You hold my life in Your hands.”
We can pray this prayer every day and, by doing so, unload our anxiety and fear. God cares for the birds. Even more, He cares for us.
What helps you experience God’s presence?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Ellen Hopkins is the founder of Scripture Confident Living. She holds a B.A. in Communications from the Moody Bible Institute and an M.A. in Counseling Ministries from Wheaton College Graduate School. Together with her husband, she serves on staff at a non-denominational church in Florida. They have two children.