“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? Matthew 6:27 (MSG)

Worries are like that; they lead nowhere. They will never procure even a tiny bit of what we need. On the contrary, we will experience even more stress, making the problems themselves even more unbearable.

“All this time and money wasted on fashion-do you think it makes that much difference?” Matthew 6:28a (MSG)

I once had a ten-year-old student who had at least 30 pairs of shoes. Every day she wore different shoes. I remember thinking that that she would never need another pair; but that was not the case. She was constantly hungering for more pairs of shoes. She continuously worried about the latest fashion. Did this make her happy? Not at all. Worries abound when possessions become our focus.

“Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.” Matthew 6:28b-29 (MSG)

When I travel, I don’t take pictures of people who are well-dressed. To me, they are ordinary. It’s true that the rich wear beautiful jewelry; but this doesn’t make this person stand out. What I do take numerous pictures of, however, is flowers. They are so beautiful, I want to remember how they look, even though within a week or two these flowers will fade. Beauty provided by our Heavenly Father stands out millions of times more than our feeble attempts at adequate clothing. Nothing can compare.

Did you know that some elephants are great artists? Some can paint or draw, making fantastic works of art. The zookeeper in Syracuse, New York noticed that one of his elephants used a stick to draw complex drawings. He offered him a pen, and after a while this elephant started to draw on paper. It was so beautiful that the zookeeper asked the opinion of an artist. He didn’t tell the artist where the drawings came from, but the artist was impressed. When the elephant was identified as being the creator of the drawings, the artist was even more impressed.

The zookeeper in Syracuse found out that elephants in other zoos also draw. In fact, one elephant uses paint brushes, and he is quite good at it. Many people buy these paintings and drawings. A painting done by an elephant is actually on display in one of our local restaurants, and everyone admires it.

Do these elephants worry? No way! They simply enjoy what they are doing.

Would you like an Elephant painting?

P. S. Check online with “Elephant artists”. You will be amazed!

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Majestic Mountain View” devotional series, please click here.)