I don’t know about you, but I have found myself being a little more observing of the things around me. We have a creek that flows through our property and with all of the recent rains, the front area of our lawn has become a pond. One of the most enjoyable things about rain is being able to sit and be still and listen to the falling rain. With rain, what was once brown grass is now once again green and in need of mowing. I was out really early Monday morning mowing and I noticed something else. Birds were seemingly everywhere, and they were really noisy. It was a whole lot cooler than what it had been, and I am sure that they were enjoying the relief from the heat because they were singing at the top of their little lungs. The much needed rain seemed to bring life to so many things that were on the bring of death. Robbi’s corn was once again growing tall, the grass was turning green, the clouds were white and fluffy, the breeze blew softly, the sky was blue, the tree leaves were swinging in the breeze, the birds were singing, and it seemed as though all of creation was singing as well.
The Psalmist gives us a very similar picture in Psalm 104 where he begins with this: “Praise the Lord, O my soul.” I don’t know if that is an invite, a suggestion, or a command. Whatever it is, it is medicine for the soul. The writer goes on and says: “O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.” and then he procedes to talk about it and give us a description. He talks about the heavens, the clouds, the wind and the flames of fire. He talks about the waters, mountains, valleys, springs and ravines. He then goes on to talk about the beasts of the field, donkeys, birds and the branches of the trees. Grass, cattle, plants, trees, the moon, the sun, lions, the sea, the creatures of the sea, and man. In verse 27 he says “These all look to You to give them their food at the proper time.” I thought what was interesting is that the writer says that they “all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.”
Is that true of man? Is that true of me? Is that true of you? Do you look to God to provide at the proper time? The animals do. All creation does, but I am not sure about man. Man seems to want it now, and if that does not happen we have a problem. We do not always like God’s timing. All of creation seems to be singing praise to God but man? I’m not sure. Why is it that they all sing? Where does that come from? In that list the writer mentions birds twice. Is there anything significant about that? I’m not sure, but why not mention lions twice or maybe even man? Birds seem so insignificant. It is nice to hear them sing, but if you have them in your barn they make a mess. What is so special about birds?
Jesus talked about birds in His very special sermon on the mount. He tells us plain and simple to not worry. That sounds easy doesn’t it? Not! We seem to have all kinds of things to worry about, especially in our world today. It can be very difficult to watch the news and hear all that is going on and not worry about your kids or grandchildren. Are you worried about the Coronavirus or the upcoming election. Jesus then tells us to “…look at the birds of the air…” Why birds again? He says that they do not sow food; they do not harvest food; and they do not even can or freeze food for a later date. They simply rely on God to feed them and that is exactly what He does. He feeds them. These are just birds! In Matthew 10 Jesus talks about birds again. In verse 29 He asks “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” Those birds that are only worth a half cent each exist inside the will of God, and He feeds them too. Think about that for a minute. Walk outside and listen to the birds. Look to the sky and observe the clouds or listen to the rain. Feel the breeze or the warmth of the sun. Is it any wonder that all creation sings? Is it any wonder that birds sing?
We have been spending most all of these mid-week devotionals focusing on prayer and this week is no different. If you remember, I previously shared with you an acrostic that helps me when I pray:
A-Ackowledge God for who He is; praise Him
C-Confess sin
T-Thanksgiving
S-Supplication; ask God
Psalm 104 is a prayer that begins with Acknowledgement of who God is and the Psalm ends with the same thing. Check it out: “Praise the Lord, O my soul” and “Praise the Lord, O my shoul. Praise the Lord.” The psalmist never gets past praising God, and quite honestly, that is a pretty good prayer. I would encourage you to take a few minutes to read Psalm 104 and then walk outside, take a look around, and praiseHim. It is a great way to start your day!