Rising on Wings of Faith

By: Jacqueline J. Overpeck, author, cbn

I enjoy feeding wildlife in my garden. One evening, I noticed a bluejay sitting alone after the other birds had gone. I eased up to it. The bluejay was alive but barely moving.

The bluejay seemed comforted by my presence, so I sat on the ground near the bird until mosquitoes swarmed around me. I hated to leave the bird alone but needed to go inside. I’d never rehabilitated a wild bird before. I decided I’d call the local wildlife office in the morning.

In the meantime, I prayed, “Lord, I place this bluejay in your hands.”

The next morning, I slid on my garden shoes and walked outside to where the bird had been the night before. It was gone! Based on the bird’s condition, I doubted it flew away. Had a predator taken it? Maybe the neighbor’s cat or an owl?

My husband sensed my concern. “Where did you place the bird?” he asked. “I placed the bluejay in God’s hands — but this isn’t what I expected God to do!”

Deep inside, I knew that if I couldn’t believe God would take care of the bird, there was no way I could believe He would take care of me.

While speaking about worry, Jesus gave us a comparison between the importance of our lives and the importance of birds.

“Look at the birds of the air. . . your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

The Lord gently holds us. Not a day goes by that we have to worry, wonder, or fear the sovereignty of His answers. He hears our prayers and knows the concerns of our hearts. Guess who I saw drinking from my bird fountain two days later? The bluejay!

How do I know it was the same bird? Its feathers were rumpled, it hopped with a limp, and it lingered behind the other birds. The bluejay looked at me just before it flew away. I looked at my husband. Faith rose in my heart. I looked back out the screen door and smiled.

“It’ll be just fine,” I said. “This time, I’ve learned not only to place the bluejay in God’s hands, but my whole heart, too.”

What’s concerning you today? Is there a situation that you’re apprehensive about? Do you long for the reassurance of heaven? If so, you can place your worries in God’s great hands.

Remember, Jesus’s hands were pierced with nails on Calvary’s cross so that you can walk free, forgiven, and be without burden. There on the cross, Jesus paid the ultimate price to win your love. Consider that. Jesus remained confident in God even as He hung on the cross dying in mockery and seemingly forsaken.

Where did Jesus’ confidence come from? According to the book of Luke, He understood the capable and mighty hands of God.

“Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When He had said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:46 (NIV)

If Jesus, who was gloriously raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God in heaven, trusted his well being in the hands of his father — despite how bleak the situation looked — won’t you also trust in God?” (See Luke 24:7 and Acts 2:24)

Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord, I’m broken today. The struggles of life have weighed me down. Yet, I agree with David, the psalmist who wrote that you do not despise a broken and contrite heart (Ps. 51:17). You welcome me into your presence just as I am. I know that your desire is to restore, build up, heal, and cleanse. I offer my life to you afresh. I believe by faith that you are more than able to take what is broken in me, repair it, and mend me again. How I need you, Lord. I’m dependent upon your great grace that reaches down to touch the point of my need. I give you my praise today. There is none like you. Only you take that which is empty and cause it to be full to overflowing. Will you do that in my heart right now? I ask that you would cause great joy to bubble up—not circumstantial happiness, but rather the rich, resonating inner wholeness that comes as the result of Jesus’s abundant love living in me. Amen.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” Psalm 16:11a (NIV)

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:6-10 (NIV)