June 20 | Bible in a Year: Esther 1-2; Acts 5:1-21

And God Sent . . . Moths?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Matthew 6:26

READ Matthew 6:25-34

“AaaaAAAAHHH!” my daughter shrieked. “DaaaaDDDYY! Get UP here!”

I knew what was wrong: a moth. Every spring, an armada of these dusty insects migrate past where we live. Each year, we brace for their arrival. This year had been especially bad.

To humans, moths are unwanted pests that often fly right into your face. But to birds, well, it’s a feast. Doing a little research, I learned that the moths provide incredible nutrition for the region’s swallows. As annoying as they are, these moths are veritable moth ‘manna’ for the birds.

I don’t know if Israel had moth migrations in Jesus’ day. But Christ took note of God’s provision for the birds there, saying in the Sermon on the Mount, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

So, these days, I look at moths differently. Not as dirty pests, but as winged reminders of God’s provision for His creation—and as a living metaphor for His provision for me too. If God provides so richly for the swallows, how much more does He care for me and for you?

By Adam Holz

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Three times in Matthew 6, Jesus counsels His hearers about money and material possessions. First, He addresses giving to the poor, advising us to give discreetly “so that your giving may be in secret” (v. 4). Then He cautions against hoarding: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” (v. 19), adding, “You cannot serve both God and money” (v. 24 ). In today’s reading, Christ notes the futility of fretting about our daily needs: “Do not worry about your life” (v. 25). God’s care for creation reminds us that He’s good, and we can trust Him to provide for us (v. 26).