Category Archives: Being What God Created
Birds of the Air
I feel like I’m at an airport. This picture is showing pinion jays cruising in and out on their natural runways. It doesn’t take long for these birds to find the food in my bird feeders. Chickadees, jays, nuthatches, woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, grosbeaks, and some sparrows all come to dine at Dan and Staci’s buffet tree feeder. Dang chipmunks and squirrels drop by as well.
They are all welcome. It’s a joy and delight to watch these birds every morning, Grab a cup of coffee, grab a front row seat (by the fireplace), and let the show begin. Constant fly-ins, fly-outs, fly-bys, flying using those wonderful feathers God gave them to use.
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26
Hmmm…. if I just filled the bird feeders with sunflower seeds, then this can mean that God is using me to feed HIS birds ! In some small and seemingly insignificant way I’m being used by my God to fulfill His desires and His plans. Never looked at it this way, just thought I was feeding the birds.
Maybe you have a bird feeder. Hmmm……….maybe you have a “people feeder”. What I’m getting at is this. Each and everyday day you get a chance, an opportunity to help another person as they travel on their own journey. It may seem small and insignificant….until you realize that God can use you and your “oh,it’s no big deal” opportunities…… to further His desires and His plans in other peoples lives.
Being used by God for His Purpose, His Desires, His Glory……… that’s a pretty good place to be! It gives you a chance to bless and be blessed. Being a part of God’s plan and handiwork is truly a desire of mine. You and I don’t need to belittle or “shoot down” our small times of helping others. A kind word here, a thoughtful act there, a prayer given for someone, a Christian deed done for another person,……..it all gives Glory back to God!
So,……put out a “people feeder” in your spiritual journey. Fill it with whatever “bird seed” God’s given you to share. It might be He’s given you His love to share. Or share some of your kindness, faith, and hope to others in this world. After all, Jesus was given to you and me. We in turn can share. Small and insignificant you may think, but in the big picture you and your activities are fitting into the plans of God.
Helping somebody with a flat tire, letting someone use your phone, cheerful words, take ’em with ya to eat, ……..just listening to someone…., I could go on and on. These are just the “bird seeds” that this someone needed. Look-a-there!! Your Heavenly Father feeds the birds of the air. He also “feeds” His children! And,…….you get to be a part of it!!
See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher
God’s Masterpiece
Believing what's Hard to Believe
Wow what a beautiful scene! God can really put on a show of Glory with His creations. Seems like every day it’s a different view, a different painting. He’ll have a cloud here, a different tone of red, purple, or yellow there. Some mountains up close, some mountains far away. oh, and let’s put a few trees on the ridge next to us. ( I feel like that Bob Ross guy, you remember……. he had big hair and was always painting scenes and sticking “happy trees” in them.)
Why do we stare in awe at sunsets and sunrises? Well, if you ask me it’s because we see God’s Glory. Seems like almost everyday here in the Colorado mountains, I get to see a new masterpiece. The way the sun reflects, the way the light shines through. That masterpiece would not be there without the sun shining its way through, reflecting, and even giving new life and a so much of a different view to an ordinary set of clouds, mountains, An ordinary everyday view suddenly comes alive with vibrant colors!!
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesions 2:10 NLT
Well now, look a there my friends. You and I are each God’s masterpiece. Don’t take my word for it, take it from the Word of God Himself.
I know we all struggle to believe that little ole me and you can be considered a masterpiece created by God Himself! We find it difficult to believe that such talk can be true. BUT IT’S IN THE BIBLE PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!! We are God’s masterpiece! Created anew in Christ Jesus. Still don’t believe it huh?
Well, look at it like this. There you are living your everyday life. Along comes Jesus, God’s Bright and Shining Son. This Son/Sun comes into your heart shines into your life and now you’ve got “the glow”. You become a masterpiece (not because of who you are) but because you reflect His Light. You allow Him to shine through. Everything about you takes on a new life. Voila!!!! A new masterpiece!!
Still don’t believe you’re God’s handiwork, created by Him? I think here’s where we get stuck. We find it easier to believe that we are not good enough, that we don’t have what it takes, that God has His masterpieces in other people,…….no way it can be in me.
Believe. That’s one word with such serious consequences. In this week’s current news, we are to believe that this judge guy is good enough to be placed on the Supreme Court. But then this lady comes along and tells us we are to believe that something terrible happened 35 years ago, and that judge guy should not be approved. The Republicans tell us to believe this, the Democrats tell us to believe that.
Groups of people are telling us to believe what they believe so that we will believe what needs to be believed. Huh? What????? Unbelievable, Right?
And then,….. to make things worse, you argue with yourself constantly about what to believe. You are too fat, too old, too whatever. You tell yourself to believe that you aren’t smart enough. Those “voices” inside of your head tell you to just sit down, shut up, just roll over and play dead. And sadly, you believe that. You believe lies about yourself. You know it’s not true,……..but it’s comfortable being a lie verses Being what God created You to BE!
Now, wilderness preacher guy comes along and says BELIEVE in Jesus and everything will be perfect, roses always blooming, birds singing, never a sad moment, never a bad day. [SCREACHING HALT] Hold on there pardner, I don’t BELIEVE that I’ve said that!
Take a breath, relax, stop letting this world spin you round like a top. Count to 10, 1…..2…..3…..4………..10. Whew…..
Believing in the one true God is a huge step to becoming His masterpiece. When the scripture says to BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,……….. I believe that He is saving us from all this believing confusion. If I put my trust and beliefs in Jesus and Him alone, I no longer have to battle all these other beliefs that are out there. By believing in my Lord and Saviour, I now have a Christian way to live and follow. This helps me to know what everyday decisions to believe in as well. Bad days still come, but I now have a hope and trust that the future is in God’s hands, not mine. I figure he can do better with my life than I can.
So, if you ask me, I do believe that I (and YOU) are God’s masterpiece. He created me (just like a sunset) to shine His light, His Glory, and to reflect His love to a crazy unbelieving world.
I also believe that He delights in what He has created me (and you) to BE! That is hard to believe, I’ll admit it to ya. But God loves us that much.
Me and my simple brain have this picture of God not placing me(and you) in some “art gallery” or hanging on a “museum wall” somewhere for all the world to see God’s handiwork in me (and you). Nope, He’s into a more personal relationship than that. I have this vision that you and I are “taped to His refrigerator door”. By that I mean that He loves us so, He wants us right next to Him spiritually. We then shine, glow, and come alive because of God and His Son Jesus shining on and in us.
You are God’s masterpiece. I believe that! Do you?
See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher