Read: Jeremiah 4:23-28
I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. (v. 25)
The July 2, 2021, issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac contained an article about birds’ sensitivity to temperature and barometric pressure. Watching their behavior can help us predict the weather. For example, they are often silent before a storm and will fly either higher or lower depending on air density and pressure. When we consider how marvelously God has designed his creatures, we stand in awe.
We should also stand in reverence and awe after reading about the implications of a world void of birds and what could cause this. Many prophetic passages refer to the disappearance of birds as a result of divine judgment (see Jer. 9:10; 12:4; Hosea 4:3; Zeph. 1:3). The desolation of the land and the absence of beasts and birds represented God’s withdrawal of favor from his disobedient people. How sobering to think that as humans, our refusal to follow God and his requirements can have such a devastating effect on nature.
The impending disasters that Jeremiah foretold could be avoided only one way—by a humble, penitent, and obedient return to God. Perhaps that is the way to experience nature’s renewal and blessings upon his creatures, by heeding the word of the Lord so instead it may be said that “the flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” (Song 2:12). —Denise Vredevoogd
As you pray, humbly ask God for forgiveness, mercy, and renewal for yourself, mankind, and all creation.
About the Author
Denise Vredevoogd is a private piano teacher who lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan. She enjoys reading, writing, gardening, and spending time in nature with her adult sons and daughters.
