Devotionals for the Heart: What a squirrel taught me about God's love

What a Terrified Squirrel Reminded Me About God’s Love
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

“O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.”—Psalm 104:24 (NLT)

Eye to eye outside my front door window, we watched each other. Me, sleepy in my workout clothes, ready to head upstairs to hop on the treadmill. Him, a terrified brown squirrel, clinging to the tree outside my door in terror.

I froze in my tracks, gazing at him. He didn’t move a muscle as his brown eyes locked on mine. I could almost see the thoughts coming from his brain: “Does she see me? Am I in danger? Maybe if I don’t move then she’ll think I’m part of the tree. Wait, is that nut still up there?”

Seconds ticked by. A full minute. I didn’t want to terrify the poor creature further, so in a moment I would slink away, letting him know he was truly safe after all. Yet I couldn’t help but marvel at him. His muscles bunched tight. His luminous brown eyes. The way his fingers, so childlike and delicate, clung to the slender tree trunk. He was a marvel, that squirrel! God’s precious creation. And for a moment, we saw each other. Fully. Finally, guilt set in at how scared I was probably making him, and I broke our eye contact and retreated upstairs.

Yet as I walked on that treadmill belt, I couldn’t stop thinking about that squirrel. About his tender, almost human-like hands. About those wide, chocolate-brown eyes. To God, that squirrel is likely as precious as I am. As you are. As that bird in the sky is. As that lonely man in the alley is, chasing away his demons in a bottle of something toxic. As that angry-eyed girl on the street is, keeping the world at arm’s length with her scowl and her fierce clothing.

All of us, every single one of us, is handcrafted in the image of God. Even the animals are perfectly designed—not necessarily, as humans—in the full image of God, but with that same amount of care and love and painstaking architecture. It doesn’t take much to look around and see God’s love everywhere. Even a leaf, with its delicate symmetry, shows that love, that attention, from our glorious Creator.

Our Father God cares for us, every one of us. Yet what do we do in return?

Sometimes we take that love for granted, becoming so consumed by our own lives and selfish concerns that we forget to be grateful for the breath in our lungs and the simple gift of our bodies. Sometimes we treat other people with disdain or show a complete lack of admiration and care for the world around us. We trash our forests and fill our air with toxins. We push our animals out into increasingly fewer spaces outdoors with overbuilding and urban sprawl. We overhunt and overindulge to our heart’s content. But if we only open our eyes, we will realize that loving God means loving others. It means loving His creation as much as we love ourselves.

Here are a few scriptures that point to God’s care:

- Genesis 1:31 (NLT) says, “Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!”

- Psalm 24:1 (NLT) says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

- Romans 1:20 (NLT) says, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

We have no excuse. So, let’s open our eyes and see God all around us. And in return, let us celebrate His creation—from the animals to the earth to the people around us—with love and deep gratitude.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the great love You have for me and all your creation. Help me honor You with my life and with all the love I can muster. Instill in me a heart of gratitude and care, now and forevermore. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

~*~
Song of Reflection #1: “The Maker” by Chris August. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “For the Beauty of the Earth” by Barlow Girl. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: "God So Loved" by Jaci Velasquez. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach. 

Her two Christian contemporary novels, The Memory Garden and Tangled Roots, are Amazon bestsellers and her third novel, Hidden Seeds, is out now and is a top release. Learn more about Jessica’s writing ministry and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.

Jessica is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. She has a YouTube devotional, and you can also connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

Jessica also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.