Praise the Lord!
by Malcolm Wood
Until recently there haven’t been many opportunities for Anna, my wife, and I to sit and watch the antics of the birds in our garden and listen to their singing. Now with a little more time to ‘stand (or sit) and stare’ we’re more aware of the chorus of birdsong which emanates from the surrounding trees, bushes, and roof tops. We’ve now bought a bird table, and even a CD of birdsong to help us identify which is which!
While we watch and listen, and marvel afresh at God’s handiwork in creation, we’re often reminded of the song we learned in Sunday School;
‘The birds upon the treetops sing their song,
They fill the air with music all day long,
Each flower in the garden blends its hue.
So why shouldn’t I, why shouldn’t you,
Praise Him too?’
In these days of confusion, uncertainty, doubt, and fear, it’s good to reflect that there’s a God in heaven, and He cares for every aspect of His creation, including you and me! Some find the fact that God cares for them hard to appreciate. Here are two scriptures to ponder. The first one is ‘Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are’ (Matthew 6:26). The second one is ‘For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you”. Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation’ (2 Corinthians 6:2).
There’s much in the world today which can distract us from keeping our eyes on the one true God as the one who knows us (and our needs), loves us (in spite of our faults), and cares for us. The Psalmist declares ‘My help comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth’ (Psalm 121:2). In verse 2 he continues, ‘The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade’, and in verse 8 he says, ‘The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever’.
The Bible makes it clear that, whatever the challenges or difficulties we have to face, if we look to God with sincerity and right motives, and we’re walking in obedience to His Word, the first verse of Psalm 46 will become a reality in our lives ‘God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble’.
A friend of ours used to regularly quote the following poem during his teaching.
‘Said the robin to the sparrow
“I should really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so?”.
Said the sparrow to the robin
“Friend I think that it must be,
That they have no Heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me.” (Elizabeth Cheney)
Simple but profound! The truth is that we DO have a Heavenly Father and He DOES care for us. Let’s join with all creation and praise Him!
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for Your love and constant care. Help me to appreciate You, and what You do for me. May Your praise always be on my lips. Amen.
Malcolm Wood and his wife Anna became part of the Ellel family as House Managers at Ellel Grange in 1990. Since then they have been involved with many aspects of the developing Ministry. From 2001 until 2015 they were Directors of Ellel Scotland where they hosted several International Schools and Operation Blairmore and helped pioneer the exciting Creative Inspiration Weeks. They have three sons.
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