birds don't worry!

 by Linda Hokit
June 22, 2026
…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be given unto you.
(Matthew 6:33 KJV) Allelu, Alleluia..
Ask and it shall be given unto you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you
(Matthew 7:7 KJV) Allelu, Alleluia..
…man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
(Matthew 4:4 KJV) Allelu, Alleluia..

Song: Seek Ye First
Song Writer: Karen Lafferty
1996

     I went to a camping event for young girls this weekend and as usually happens we began to sing! In fact,
as I thought back over the years, we sang when we where happy. We sang when we where pensive. We
sang when we needed to fill time. We sang to say grace at meal times. We sang to say good morning or
good night. We sang when there was a crisis and we needed to settle the children.

     In fact, I remember a video few years back where girls being evacuated from their camp after a flood
sang on the bus. They were commenting about the overwhelming scene they were experiencing and
then they began to sang! They sang many of the “old” choruses I remember singing in youth group. They
sang “Pass it On”, “Sanctuary, Seek Ye First”, “Amazing Grace”, “Reckless Love”, etc. There is something
about learning scripture this way. I think that’s why the Psalms are so special to many of us when we
want to express joy or sadness or fear or thanksgiving. They are scripture meant to be sung. Learning
verses as songs seems to not only make the scriptures quickly accessible to us but also provides a Godly
message to those around us.

     The three verses above are among my favorite! I learned these verses in my young years by singing
them! I still remember them and was able to sing along with the girls on the bus. Better yet, I know how
to apply these verses to my life circumstances. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God” has always been
important when I have to remember what is really important in life! In the scriptures it comes after
Jesus talks about worry. He says, look at the birds and the flowers. God takes care of them. They don’t
have to worry about having their needs met! Neither do we.

     For example, when I moved to Vermont, I was having trouble finding a place to live. Before I moved, I
had thinned out my belonging so I could live in a smaller place. I knew the time would come when I
would need to downsize, so I did it while I was packing to move. It took a couple of weeks of looking. I
finally saw an ad that had very little information and no picture, but I was strongly impressed to call. I
made the call, drove out, met the landlord and walked away with a “tiny apartment” that is now 10
years later is about half the rent being asked by other landlords. That allowed me to retire three years
ago, something I did not imagine doing at the time!

     “Ask and it shall be given to you”, is not a verse we sling at God when we want the latest or newest item
on the market. It is a verse that reminds us that God will provide what He knows we need to be all that
He wants us to be. I believe God will provide what we need so we can be His servant, not so we can be
comfortable. When I retired three years ago, it did not seem like a good decision at the time. And, yet 
there was no doubt in my mind I should make that choice. I was strongly led to not just retire from a job
but to embrace a new adventure. Since then, opportunities to serve have steadily come my way. I now
volunteer for about five different entities. As I do, I am finding God opening doors to share my faith,
speak with people in crisis from a spiritual foundation, and making friends who enrich my life each day.
     
     The opportunities to speak about the value of God in my life have been real and divinely provided in
every way. But God does still come to the rescue as well. A couple of days ago I lost my phone. Oh, my word, it was
stressful because I lost it while away from my home. You know I asked God to help me find that phone! I
searched. I had friends call the phone. I retraced my steps. Finally, I went to my carrier thinking I might
need a new phone. However, I asked one more favor and it worked! What I want to share is that the
person at the provider store stayed at his station and continuously hits the right buttons so I would hear
my phone ring while I was looking at the place we discovered it was located! If he had not done that, I
would not have found the phone and would have been out more than a few pennies! He taught me
what to do next time it happened and answered the questions I asked. Not once did he try to sell me a
new phone. He is the only person in 10 years who has not tried to benefit from my need in that store!
     
     That brings me to, “Man shall not live by bread alone”. The gentlemen in the story above acted like he
understood that man does not live by bread alone. So, did the students in one of the English as a
Second Language Schools we taught through our churches in Alaska. Our students where quite
motivated to attend classes so they could learn to communicate better in English. Little by little they
opened up and shared their faith background as well! In one class the teacher asked the class why they
wanted to learn English. More than a few said, they wanted to be able to witness for Christ in English!
     
​     They knew what it meant live by the Word of God. In another class, there was a gentleman who spoke
English quite well. Yet, he came week after week. I discovered he was a deacon in his church and wanted
to minister to those from his country that came to Alaska. I witnessed many situations where he found
ways to provide for both the physical and spiritual needs of those around him! He understood about
living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. May we all be so obvious in our faith in
Christ.