Devotion of the Week
May 7, 2005
By: Rev. Jim Savage, Pastor
Whitley City United Methodist Church
Whitley City, Kentucky

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. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? (Matthew 6:26-29)

Recently these words have come to mean a lot more to me than in recent years. I always thought that it meant that God took care of all the flowers and birds. But recently I have come to realize that: yes, God does take care of his creation and provide for the birds and even the lilies; but, in many cases we as human species have messed up what God is providing.

I am sure that many of you have read recently or heard on the news that there is a rare species of bird that has been spotted several times recently in Arkansas. The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker thought to have been extinct for some time now has recently been spotted in different locations. It is hoped that this means that this beautiful creation of God will now flourish again. Over the next years many people will try to spot the illusive woodpecker in hopes of finding the nests and the young of this bird.

I first heard about the come back of this bird when I was on a "Wildflower Walk" held in the Daniel Boone National Forest, in McCreary County. After we talked about this magnificent bird I had the chance to see many rare wildflowers, and one so rare it only grows in a couple of places because of a "cool pocket" of air that settles in this one place.

It made me think about these words in Matthew. Yes, God provides… But how much are we protecting? For so many years we have just taken from the land all that we want… all that we thought we needed…

I am always amazed at John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son… We know the verse so well. But have we really thought of it that God so loved the "world". Or have we simply thought of it that God so loved "people." When God created in the Genesis story he looked upon everything he created and pronounced, "it is good." If creation was meant by God to be good… shouldn't we who, "he more surely cares for…" shouldn't we be the ones caring for the rest of creation? In the Genesis story God places mankind as having dominion over creation. This word doesn't mean to dominate everything, but to have good stewardship over creation.

This Spring, take a look around you, in your part of creation what is being done to protect and show good stewardship over the creation of God? I hope you ask along with me, "What does God expect of me? What is my part in having dominion (good stewardship) over creation?"

"Father, forgive us when we have forgotten your creation and placed our needs before the needs of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. Amen."