Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
Matthew 6:11

It is another beautiful morning. As I pull back the blinds I can see the sun beginning to spread its light across the garden. A new day, new light and many new reasons to praise our God.

The birds arrive for their daily morning feast. The fat balls put out by my wife the night before are being devoured by the many birds; the little robins, my favourites, three of them, sparrows, blackbirds, blue tits; a few of each kind. 

Then, from nowhere, an invasion of starlings, one, two, three, I’m counting. There are 14 of them all arriving like aeroplanes, landing one after the other; such a sight. The pigeons have arrived, all eating and enjoying the food.

I’m awake now and in thinking mode. These birds come every morning and in all kinds of weather for their “daily bread”. In the sunshine, like today and when it is wet and cold. Some holding on to the little holders the fat balls are in, some on the ground picking up the crumbs, all being fed as they fly, flutter, hop and sing.

I wonder what drives them. Hunger, I hear myself say. The need to be sustained.

Now I am really awake. It is very early but the birds, like me, are already searching for food. “Give us this day our daily bread,” I’m saying out loud. That’s it! I, like the birds, need to come every morning for my daily spiritual bread. No matter if it is sunny, or there are clouds in the sky. When I feel energetic or weary, encouraged or discouraged. When I am on the mountain top or the mountain is on top of me. Every day, like the birds, nothing is going to stop me getting my ‘daily bread’. 

There is plenty for all for each day – my wife keeps putting out more.

The birds arrive expecting to find.

This all comes to mind because a few days ago the birds arrived to find no food, (an oversight). I watched as some of the birds hopped up to the window/sliding door where I was sitting. Looking in at me. One fluttered its wings against the window as if to say where is my ‘daily bread’. The oversight was soon fixed and all is well; the singing of the birds in appreciation is amazing.

How glad I am that every morning I get my “daily spiritual bread” from my heavenly Father and my response is to sing praise to Him for His “mercy which is new every morning, great is His faithfulness.”

Thank you my little bird friends for the lesson taught to me this morning.

Roy Leith