Thursday, July 10, 2025

Romans 15:13

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with the joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NLT)

We have a birdbath in our iris bed in our backyard. Since the beginning of spring when robins were returning from their winter migration, I have been filling the birdbath with water from my watering can on a nearly daily basis because of the dry weather. This habit ended with the thunderstorms in May that provided over two inches of rain. As I watched the rain pour down from our family room window, I saw the birdbath overflowing with water – no need to add any – God provided. When the rain subsided, I glanced outside again at the birdbath and there was a robin splashing its wings without a care in the world. I could see God’s provisional plan in the hope and peace in those flapping wings as the robin joyfully dipped and dived in that gift of water!

This moment in nature reminded me of God’s love as Jesus shared these words from Matthew 6:25-26 (NLT): “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”

Thanks be to God!

Questions for Reflection:

• Where do you see God’s provisions in your life?
• What brings you that sense of joy and peace in your faith life?

Prayer:

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you, God, for everything.              
Amen

PeaceThanksgiving