“He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”

Psalm 91:4

Spending time in nature is one of my favorite things to do; and, with the spring and summer months, it’s as if the world wakes up to a vibrant show of colors, textures, scents, and melodies. Where the winter season, once, covered up most signs of life, flowers of every kind, now, reach toward Heaven, while so many butterflies and moths—their wings painted with variegated patterns—find nourishment, within them. Meanwhile, in the ground beneath our feet, a myriad of tiny insects come and go. More visible to the eye and ear are the birds, with plumes and songs unique to their species, which soar through the sky, before lighting on the branches of some nearby tree. They hunt for food, make nests, and raise their families—all parallel to our own lives; yet, for this proximity, we rarely notice them. And, when we do spare a moment to observe these winged creatures, it is even more rare that we try to learn anything from them.

But, maybe that should change…. After all, the Bible has quite a bit to say about birds.

Genesis, the very first volume in Scripture’s sixty-six book canon, reveals that God brought the bird-kind into existence, and “saw that it was good,” on day five of the seven days of creation (Gen. 1:20-23).

In the book of Psalms, that beautiful collection of “God-breathed” Hebrew poetry, birds are mentioned, once again. Here, in Psalm 50:11, it is the LORD’s dominion over His creatures, that is highlighted. In His omnipotence, the Creator declares, “I know all the birds of the mountains, / And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.” Psalm 147:9 goes a step further—demonstrating, not only God’s power over nature, but also His care, thereof. The psalmist assures that, “He gives to the beast its food, / And to the young ravens that cry.” One of the most comforting passages, in all of Scripture, is also found among the psalms, with the Spirit expressly using imagery of mighty bird wings to picture the safety, within which the person dwells, who places themselves under His protection (Psa. 91:4).

Similarly, Isaiah, considered among the “major” prophetic books of the Old Testament, minces no words when it comes to describing those, who wait patiently on God’s promises. In contrast to human strength, which is finite and prone to failure, the vitality of the LORD is infinite and never-failing—able to sustain the believer, so that he will “mount up with wings like eagles,” “run and not be weary,” and “walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:30-31).

In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit, Himself, as one-third of the Triune Godhead, is compared to a dove, as He comes from Heaven, at the baptism of Christ, to rest upon Him, in power (Mt. 3:16-17; Mk. 1:9-11; Lk. 3:21-22; Jn. 1:32-34).

My two particular favorites, among the multitude of bird references in the Bible, are spoken by Jesus, during His three and one-half year earthly ministry. They can, both, be found in the Gospel of Matthew. The first of these references, appearing as part of the “Sermon on the Mount,” echoes the earlier sentiment of Psalm 147. Speaking to His disciples and a gathered crowd, the Son of God encourages submission to and faith in the LORD. “Look,” He says, “at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.” He finishes this thought with a rhetorical question for the worried heart: “Are you not of more value than they [birds]?” (Mt. 6:26). A few chapters over, in Matthew 10:29-31, Christ makes another comparison between birds and the children of God. In addition to holding the rights of ownership to the avian species and acting as the Source of their food and water, God is shown to be sovereign over their very movements: “And not one of them [sparrows, i.e. birds] falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.” If God the Father shows such attention to sparrows, which are valued at no more than a “copper coin,” imagine what kind of concern He lavishes upon human beings, as the dear ones of His creation! Jesus helps us understand our value, in His eyes: “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

These eleven references only scratch the surface of the Bible’s commentary on birds; but, they’re more than enough to learn four very important lessons.

1. God is the Creator of the universe and everything in it.
2. As Creator, God is endless in power, wisdom, and existence.
3. God is not only infinite in might, but also infinite in love. Because of this, He actively engages in the lives of His creation.
4. In the sum of His attributes, God wants the best for us and desires the fellowship, for which we were created. This is why He came in the flesh, walked among men, died on the cross, and rose from the dead: to tear down the barrier of our sin, which separates us from His holiness, and to open the way of communion for “whosoever believes in Him” (Jn. 3:16).

Who knew you could learn so much from the likes of the lowly sparrow, the majestic eagle, and the dusk-colored raven?

A few weeks ago, as I sat down to my daily Scripture study time—thoughts and emotions vying for my attention—the Spirit prompted me with the sweet remembrance of His presence. All at once, I felt peace in knowing that “El Roi,” the “God Who Sees Me,” has never left my side. He knew me, perfectly, even before He formed me in my mother’s womb; and, there’s never been a single step, that I’ve taken without Him. He holds my past, present, and future, all securely, in His loving hands. Whatever happens tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, I can rest in the promise of His good plans, for my life, and look forward to eternity with my Creator, Savior, and Friend. The result of this precious nudging from Heaven, is a poem I’m calling “A Weary Soul to its Savior.” Written in twelve lines with an “abab” rhyme scheme, this work is the product of God’s great grace and mercy upon my life—upon all of our lives. Its comforts are as much for me as for you. God’s invitation, to the weary soul— to rest in His flawless provision in Christ— is an open call to the entire world.

A Weary Soul to its Savior 

In my hour of greatest need, 
You, alone, LORD give me rest. 
From Your hands—Your side—You bleed,
To wrap me in Your righteousness. 

Had I the riches of Your due,
To pay You back, the debt I owe–
Grace, as wide as ocean, blue,
Would cast them back to earth, below.

“Dear child, rest, beneath My wings.
To Love, so great, your price is small.
Though you bring such offerings, 
I, freely, give you all-in-all.”

My sincere prayer is that these words would bless you, right where you are—that you would find that rest, which can, only, come from beneath the LORD’s outstretched “wings.” If the birds can trust their Creator, to order their flights and to fill them with food, how much more can we, for whom He gave His own life, expect Him to come through for us—over and over again? For the one, who trusts in Him, God is just as present in the valley, as on the mountaintop. We were never meant to do this life, alone, but with Author of life, Who only writes good things.

The world sings the praises of its Creator. He’s just waiting for us to listen.

Listen to an audio reading of “A Weary Soul to its Creator,” here.