By Jacob Toews
Pastor, Calera First Baptist Church
Birds often get a bad rap and many times we take them for granted, (birdbrains, etc.) but God encourages us to learn from the birds. So let’s look at a few things we can learn from them.
Matthew 6:26(NIV) “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?”
1. Face your troubles – Scissor Tail
“The shell must break before the bird can fly.” – Lord Alfred Tennyson
Scissor Tails always land facing into the very wind that could blow them away! Face your fears and troubles head on! “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Phil. 2:13(HCSB)
2. Hold on tightly – Parakeet
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge…” Ps. 91:4(NIV)
When a parakeet squats, it tightens the tendons that close its feet so that whatever it is grasping stays secure. So it can sleep in peace, just like we can when we kneel in prayer and ask for God’s help.
3. Work together – Geese
Were you aware that geese can fly farther together than they can by themselves? It’s because of the extra lift they get by following the geese in front of them. We NEED each other. Don’t be selfish. “Just as each of us has one body with many members … so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” Romans:12:4-5 (NIV)
4. Sing Praises – Meadowlark
Meadowlarks have a beautiful song that can be heard in the fields where they live. I ask you, does your positive attitude spread to the ones around you? If not, why not? “In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we’re pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker’s praise without anxiety.” – A. W. Tozer
5. Feet on something solid – Sea Gull
You won’t see seagulls sitting on a wire but you will see them sitting on the ground or a solid post. We, as well, need to have a firm foundation to build our lives on. Nothing is more solid than the truth of God’s Word. “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31(NIV)
6. Last, but not least, watch your attitude! You can be like a buzzard that looks for the dead things in life and focuses on the past. Or you can be like the hummingbirds that look for the sweet things in life and the beautiful things. Which are you most like? The Buzzard or the Hummingbird?
1 Comment
Good thoughts