July 9, 2026,
Dear Saints,
As I shared with you during Sabbath Class last Lord’s Day morning about the amazing providential timing when I happened upon the story, “Out of a Job,” by actor Dick Van Patten in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul while I was seeking comfort during great anxiety trying to find new FT tent making employment, here is the brief video I mentioned that we didn’t have time to watch together where I share about this on the “Living My Faith” program out of Jacksonville, Florida:
Again, what was especially a blessing besides the timing of that title topic right when I needed it most was the moral of the story to be using the extra free time for building a greater family foundation before the next job (which for him ended up being his hit TV show, “Eight is Enough“). He closed with this verse:
Malachi 4:6: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
As I mentioned, I also have been reviewing Matthew 6:25-34 and Christ’s merciful command not to worry about tomorrow while beholding the birds and looking at the lilies today. Here is the video “I See the Birds” by Jon Guerra we did watch together if you’d like to enjoy it again or share it with others (the older boys and I joined Olivia in Pasadena a few months ago to enjoy his free concert and he’s now one of my favorite music artists):
Beloved, let us remember and rest in vs. 33 within those verses referenced above: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
We went through all this for our recent Session devotional time, and Elder Renner also offered other recent resources he enjoyed that so perfectly overlapped. First this amazing avian architect keeping himself busy without a care:
Next, his daily text nugget that same day of our Session meeting and devotion, a threefer on “Worry”:
- “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength–carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.” –Corrie ten Boom
- “Anxiety never strengthens you for tomorrow, it only weakens you for today.” –John Blanchard
- “To carry ‘care’ to bed is to sleep with a pack on your back.” –Thomas Halburton
Here’s a link to the video of last week’s Sabbath Class:
Semper Reformanda,
Pastor Grant
PS: to see an earlier devotion I wrote on the blessing of beholding the birds as an antidote to anxiety, visit: puritanchurch.com/behold-the-birds-and-be-blessed.
Categories: Birds | Comfort | Fear and Worry