阅读经文 

有一天，我们一家人在湖边散步时，发现了一窝被藏于石缝中间的蛋，那是一只小水鸟（killdeer）下的蛋。它们美得惊人，却毫无保护地暴露在岩石中。

《旧约》圣经中有许多关于圣洁生活的指引，例如《申命记》就告诉神的子民，如果发现了这样一个鸟窝该怎么做。在那个时候，拿走蛋或雏鸟是可以的，但伤害下蛋的鸟是不被允许的。这是一个简单的保护原则：如果蛋被拿走，鸟还可以再下蛋，但如果鸟妈妈被带走或被伤害，她就不能再繁衍了。在饥饿时期，人们可能会把鸟和蛋都拿走，但普遍的智慧告诫人们要克制，即使他们自身也处在绝望的境地。

然而，这些指示不仅仅是关于动物保护。我们可以相信，如果神眷顾鸟类，祂一定会更眷顾按着祂形象创造的人类。耶稣对跟从祂的人说：“不要惧怕，你们比许多麻雀还贵重”。（参太 10:31）祂所说的是：在他们受到仇敌威胁时，神对他们的眷顾会更加周全。同样，当你感到自己暴露在危险中时，神也会眷顾你的身体和心灵。

While walking near a lake one day, our family discovered a camouflaged nest of eggs that a killdeer, a small shorebird, had laid in the ground. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but it was also unprotected and exposed among the rocks.

Among the many Old Testament guidelines for holy living, some instructions in Deuteronomy told God's people what to do if they found such a nest. At that time it was considered okay to take the eggs or the young hatchlings, but it was not acceptable to harm the bird that laid them. That was a simple principle of conservation: if the eggs are taken, the bird can lay more eggs, but if the mother bird is taken or destroyed, she can't produce any more. In times of hunger, it might have been tempting to take both the bird and the eggs, but the prevailing wisdom cautioned people to use restraint, even if they were desperate.

These instructions aren't only about conservation, though. We can trust that if God cares for birds, he cares far more about us, whom he made in his image. Jesus made this clear when he said to his followers, "Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:31). He was explaining God's care for them when they were threatened by enemies. Similarly, God cares for you, body and soul, when you feel exposed and in danger.