Look to the Birds! They Can Point You to Worship.
Birds are everywhere; singing outside your window, sitting on a power line, flying overhead, hopping across a sidewalk. Perhaps you don’t notice them in the busyness of your day, but an incredible diversity of birds share your world; over 600 species of birds can be observed in the Lone Star State.
Ever since God spoke our feathered friends into existence, he’s been using them to connect with people. God sent a dove with an olive leaf in its beak to communicate to Noah that the waters had receded from the Earth. God provided quail to feed the Israelites in the wilderness and used ravens to deliver food to Elijah when he was hiding in a ravine.
The Bible uses imagery about birds to convey how greatly the Lord cares for us. In Matthew and Luke, Jesus chastises Jerusalem by saying, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing”. The picture of a hen gathering her brood under her wings is especially powerful to me as I reflect on a behind the scenes tour of the Houston Zoo where I discovered that domestic hens are entrusted with incubating and raising many species of birds that aren’t chickens. Hens are so dedicated to the eggs placed in their care, they will continue to raise those birds as their own, even if that species of bird is much larger than a chicken. Zoo hens have raised critically endangered grouse, curassows, and even a crane. It’s comforting to know that the Lord is eager to care for his children. Psalm 91:4 reads, “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge…”
In Matthew, Jesus encourages his disciples by saying, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you of not more value than they?” (6:26) Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (10:29, 31)
As you go about your day, be observant and look and listen for birds around you. When you hear a wren singing outside your window, see a pigeon on a power line, a hawk soaring overhead or a sparrow on a sidewalk, take a moment to give praise to the Creator. From the tiny hummingbird to the mighty ostrich, God created an incredible array of birds and he cares for them deeply, but he cares for you even more and yearns to gather you under his wings.
Ever since God spoke our feathered friends into existence, he’s been using them to connect with people. God sent a dove with an olive leaf in its beak to communicate to Noah that the waters had receded from the Earth. God provided quail to feed the Israelites in the wilderness and used ravens to deliver food to Elijah when he was hiding in a ravine.
The Bible uses imagery about birds to convey how greatly the Lord cares for us. In Matthew and Luke, Jesus chastises Jerusalem by saying, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing”. The picture of a hen gathering her brood under her wings is especially powerful to me as I reflect on a behind the scenes tour of the Houston Zoo where I discovered that domestic hens are entrusted with incubating and raising many species of birds that aren’t chickens. Hens are so dedicated to the eggs placed in their care, they will continue to raise those birds as their own, even if that species of bird is much larger than a chicken. Zoo hens have raised critically endangered grouse, curassows, and even a crane. It’s comforting to know that the Lord is eager to care for his children. Psalm 91:4 reads, “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge…”
In Matthew, Jesus encourages his disciples by saying, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you of not more value than they?” (6:26) Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (10:29, 31)
As you go about your day, be observant and look and listen for birds around you. When you hear a wren singing outside your window, see a pigeon on a power line, a hawk soaring overhead or a sparrow on a sidewalk, take a moment to give praise to the Creator. From the tiny hummingbird to the mighty ostrich, God created an incredible array of birds and he cares for them deeply, but he cares for you even more and yearns to gather you under his wings.
Vicki Stittleburg
Christ the King Member
Christ the King Member
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