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This week we are continuing to look at Luke 12 and in particular, verses 22-34. Please read them every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 12:24-26 (NLT)
‘“Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?”’
Recently, I watched a television debate surrounding the controversial topic of animal welfare and medical research. It was a very interesting programme with several of the conversations being exceptionally emotional and occasionally quite heated. Many of the contributors were unashamedly were against all forms of animal research and ‘pled their case’ with passion.
One particular lady however, had a slightly different opinion. She had a son who had been terminally ill and could have benefitted from medicine directly obtained by animal research. She asked the question “If research on an animal could save my son, would you agree to it?” Some people said yes, but most of the audience equated the value of the animal to the lady’s son and therefore were adamant that no animal research should be conducted.
The lady was visibly upset by this because to her, nothing was more important than the life of her son. To say that an animal was of equal value was grossly offensive and the lady broke down in tears, completely distraught.
While I don’t want to upset anyone who loves their pets, Jesus’ words are quite clear in our text today. I don’t believe that He is singling out birds as being of the lowest value, but I consider that He is stating that humanity is of the highest value to God. Way back in Genesis, God gave humanity dominion over the animals. The responsibility that comes with that is huge and we should be very careful how we treat them. The fact remains though that we as humans are of greater value to God. If He takes care of the birds, then how much more will He care for us?
Verse 25 is translated differently in some versions and use phrases like ‘who can add an inch to their height’ as opposed to ‘who can add an hour to their life’. The reason for this is that the original word can mean ‘life-span’ or ‘stature’. It can refer to physical ‘length’ or the length of our lives. The message therefore is that we can’t make ourselves any taller nor can we make our lives any longer. We are who we are and God determines the length of our existence on this earth. He upholds all things by the Word of His Power and that includes granting us every breath that we breathe.
Don’t concern yourself about what may happen tomorrow. Psalm 39:4-6 reminds us of the brevity of our lives and that every moment is in His Hands. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Latin phrase ‘Carpe Diem’ and it is usually translated as ‘seize the day’. My prayer is that we all trust God implicitly in our lives, to recognise that we are loved, to realise that we have a limited amount of time available to us and to grasp every opportunity we have to share His love and His grace with those we meet.
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