“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 (NIV)

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Luke 12:25 (NIV)

I often remember Feisty, a little squirrel with a notch missing on his ear, who visited our yard in northern Alberta. Our cabin was located

along a migration path and, in spite of the frigid temperatures, many birds wintered there. Hundreds of pine grosbeaks, evening grosbeaks, redpolls, gray jays, and chickadees visited our yard daily.

Feisty took ownership of the feeders that we filled from a 50-pound bag of sunflower seeds stored near the patio. His greatest challengers were the blue jays. Feisty raced from one feeder to the other, chasing away the jays. His eyes sparkled with the challenge; his little tail waved as a banner of his success. Then he scurried back to fill his cheeks with seeds and ran to deposit them in his private store—our bag of sunflower seeds. Over and over he rushed back to the feeders, chasing the jays and filling his storehouse.

I don’t know if he realized that, as he chased one group of jays far out into the yard, another group swooped in to eat at the feeders. Then, as soon as Feisty ran for his stash, the chased group came back to eat. We laughed at him, but it made me wonder if my flurry of activity amuses my heavenly Father.

Dear Father, thank You for sharing Your wisdom with us through the antics of a small squirrel. Help us to listen to Your voice as You

direct our days so that we will not get sidetracked with our own ambitions and plans that end up in futility. Help us to lean not on our own understanding, but to rely on You in all that we do.

– Sue Carlisle

Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.

Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org