An Owl’s Full-Circle Vision
Read: Psalm 102:1-18 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins . . . like bird alone on a roof. (vv. 6-7 NIV) An owl is a haunting image with its piercing eyes, statuesque stillness, and mournful sounds. Its nocturnal nature adds to the mystery. You may find it hard to believe, but while […]
The Birds, Our Helpers
Read: 1 Kings 17:1-6 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. (v. 4) The raven is known for its intelligence and as a scavenger that will also hide the food it gleans from a carcass, much like other birds will store seeds for later. Perhaps this behavioral […]
Wings like Eagles
Read: Isaiah 40:25-31 But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. (v. 31) In his book The Birds Our Teachers, John Stott makes the following observation about eagles: “The picture it presents is not the strenuous flapping of wings, but the spreading of wings to […]
Wishing for Wings
Read: Psalm 55 Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. (v. 6) I’ve often looked with envy at birds, freely soaring above treetops. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to escape life’s noise and distractions and view everything from a distant perspective? In the sky we’d find safety, peace, […]
Come and Get It
Read: Psalm 147:7-11; Luke 12:22-31 All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. (Ps. 104:27-28 NIV) Whenever we refill the birdfeeders with sunflower seeds or the hummingbird feeder […]
Ever Winged Bird
Read: Genesis 1:20-23 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” (v. 20 NIV) On the fifth day of creation, God designed an amazing variety of birds. So many colors, types, and sizes, from the tiniest hummingbird to the magnificent peacock, […]
Behold the Birds
Read: Matthew 6:25-34 Look at the birds of the air . . . Are you not much more valuable than they? (v. 26 NIV) Try to picture the scene as Jesus addressed his listeners on the mountainside. Were birds flying overhead when he spoke these words? Did people look up and notice them, as Jesus advised? He pointed […]
Power to Go
Read: Acts 1:1-8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (v. 8) Some years ago, I had the privilege of teaching a women’s Bible study about the Holy Spirit. […]
Doing Devotions Every Day
How often do you do devotions? I have had times in my life when I have been very faithful, doing devotions every morning or evening, and I have had times in my life when months went by without my opening the Bible. Maybe you are at one of these extremes, or somewhere in the middle, […]