Look at the Birds of the Air

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Matthew 6:25-27 – Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

A pair of goldfinches (not a reflection) on the thistle feeder in our back yard.

I must admit, as many times as I have read these verses, I struggle to heed the advice Jesus is giving here. I think these words are especially important to reflect on during such a busy time of the year. Between hectic social calendars, year-end pressures at work, and the everyday tasks of life, it is easy to get anxious about it all.

As demanding as things may be, sometimes we need to find time to get away. For me that means getting out into God’s magnificent creation and putting a few miles on my hiking boots. Even pausing a few minutes at the back window to watch the birds on the feeder provides a bit of respite. The peace and quiet of the outdoors help me to set aside my concerns and focus on the two things that matter most in life, God and family.

That said, it is even more important, especially when worries get the better of us, to take the time to bring our concerns to God in prayer and seek him through his word. After all, it is through prayer and his word that we find great reminders, like this passage from Matthew, of our Father’s constant love and daily provision for us, his children, who are more valuable to him than the birds of the air.

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Where Your Treasure Is

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Matthew 6:19-21 – Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The long abandoned Theresa Mine rusts away in Victor, Colorado.

At its peak in 1902 the gold mining town of Victor Colorado boasted 17,500 residents.¹ By 2012 that number had dropped to 396. Today the dormant, rusting skeletons of many old mines like this one dot the landscape around the town of Victor, now a shadow, one might say ghost, of its former self.

Where are you storing up your treasures?

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¹ Population for 1902 is according to this mural I photographed on a building in downtown Victor.

Joy and Peace

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

What better way to find joy and peace than a beautiful fall afternoon spent out in God’s amazing creation? Sharon Woods, Great Parks of Hamilton County, Sharonville, Ohio.

As we enter into the Advent season it is important to remember why we celebrate Christmas. The advertisements on television would have us believe it is all about the “things,” the diamond ring, the new <insert expensive brand name car>, the latest video game, or electronic gadget. Despite the beautiful images of happy, smiling people we see on our screens, these are not the things that fill us with joy and peace. These are not the things that will ever give us hope. They may produce temporary happiness, perhaps, but ultimately they only lead to a desire for more “things.”

As today’s Bible verse tells us, true joy and peace come “in believing.” Believing, that is, in the one for whom we celebrate Christmas, and that is Christ the Lord! It is God who fills us with that joy and peace; it is by the power of his Holy Spirit that we will abound in hope. And, it is only through Christ his Son, that babe born in a stable over 2000 years ago, that we can find this promised hope, joy, and peace.

While the beautiful fall colors may be gone, and temperatures may be a bit colder, winter is still a great time to get outside. Take some time to get away from the hustle and bustle this Christmas season and get out into God’s creation. If you do, perhaps the silence will give you a chance to reflect on why it is we celebrate Christmas.

Autumn colors will fade and the leaves will fall, the “things” we get for Christmas will lose their luster and soon be forgotten, but the love of Christ will endure forever!

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An Image Formed

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Acts 17:29-31 – Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. ³⁰ The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Shoreline image reflected in the waters of Stonelick Lake. Stonelick State Park, Pleasant Plain, Ohio.

Too often we substitute our own blurry images for the clear picture God has given us of himself in the Bible. We focus on the gifts rather than the giver, the reflection rather than the true object of our faith. While Scripture clearly tells us that the beauty of nature reflects the glory of God, we must always remember that we are called to worship God, our Creator, not his creation.

Take time today to study God’s word for yourself, so that you can be sure it is God himself you are worshipping and not some blurry image created by the “imagination of man,” be it yours or someone else’s.

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