Nearly every morning i am awakened to the sound of birds chirping. Now that’s not unusual in the spring and summer, but what I have been amazed at is the number of birds that have remained through this long and cold winter and decided to grace my yard with their presence. So, this morning I put some bread crumbs in a plastic dish and went outside and put them in the tree by my deck. I didn’t wait to see what happened, but a couple of hours later I looked out and saw a squirrel had climbed the branches of this apple tree and was trying to get to the bread crumbs. There was a bird looking at the scene, but the bird remained perched on the branch. Finally the squirrel managed to get to the crumbs, but the weight of the squirrel knocked the bread crumbs down on the ground. Interestingly, the squirrel grabbed a big chunk of bread and climbed the tree to a high branch and ate its’ bread. It wasn’t long before I saw why. Apparently, one of the birds had gone to get all the birds in the neighborhood and soon there was a concert of birds happily eating bread crumbs!
It made me think of how often you see this kind of thing enacted in nature. Birds travel in groups, just mess with one bee, and see what happens next, ants have ant hills that work together to prepare for their winter solstice. If we look at God’s creation and study them, we find few animals try to make it alone – they know they need some help, and when good things come, they tell somebody!
We, who name the name of Christ,have the best news there is! We have been given the keys to the Secret Kingdom – the Kingdom of God! And far too many of us keep it a secret! Instead of running and telling others this good news, we hold it to ourselves, almost as if we are afraid that there aren’t enough benefits to go around. In my reading through the Bible this year, I have to admit one of my favorite chapters is Exodus. I love the way God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, I love the way He provided for them in the wilderness, I even love the way He had mercy on them time and time again, as they rebelled. Exodus shows to me in a very action-packed, moving narrative the mercy and the long-suffering of God and the way He “daily loads us with benefits” – even when we don’t deserve it.
Now that’s the kind of news that we need to run and tell. I’m going to keep feeding the birds – watching them at work inspires me!
18 You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the LORD God might dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah Psalm 68:18-19 (NKJV)
God Bless You,
Maria