Isn’t it wonderful how when the very first rays of the Sun are suggested in the sky, the birds awake from their slumber and start to sing with joyful expressions. Their calming effect has always been a great tonic to wash away any troubles after I just sit and listen to them. This morning as I listened I could hear the occasional car drive past but early on as the dawn was rising the birds had the upper hand and their song was greatest. There are many variations of which I am sure someone would be able to identify all the birds just from the calls, but the excitement was there, the joy was in their notes and just sitting and listening felt like I was praying, but without having to say any words.
God has provided nature out there for us to experience, it is not at its full power if we just read about nature or watch it on the TV, we must experience it.
Psalm 104 10-12
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
The sun rose and different from yesterday there appeared a thick blue band across the sky and a thick cloud covered the rest of the expanse.
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
One new years day when I was at “Tarn How” near Coniston lake, there were many springs gushing forth between the grass and fern, even taking over the paths at other times. This reminded me of when I was at a cave in Yorkshire near Singleton called Yordas cave. This used to be a show cave and have a massive entrance with huge blocks of stone that banded the entrance. It was a extremely dry day and there was a dry river bed which I stood in outside the cave entrance – this apparently never floods (or so the guide book told us). As I stood there on that dry river bed a sudden gush of water erupted from upstream and I foolishly stood in front of it with my youthful tenacity, only to be battered by this water.
Later in my life I would be battered again by this water, but a gushing torrent from God that changed my life. It was as I had been praying all week for strength to change, and it was when I finally came to admit that I was in the wrong, I was selfish, I was self centred, I was in this life for me. It was when I started to admit these sins that God’s Spirit came to me and washed me clean and gave me strength to carry on.
they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
As I said yesterday, the Spirit didn’t suddenly do something but it entered into me and started to pray so I could have the encouragement to carry on. I was the wild donkey in the field and God was giving me drink so I could carry on. God didn’t suddenly take this situation away, but gave me strength, gave me a warmth inside, gave me His mercy.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
I am now one of the birds in the branches, waiting expectantly for heaven’s call, so I can sing its praises and call more to sing to heaven. There are many different bird songs and calls, but each of them are in joy at the excitement of the dawn that is upon us and the age that we now live in.
KJV – Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
ESV – because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
Whichever version you may read I pray that God’s Dayspring, God’s Sunrise, God’s Holy Spirit sent by His Son Jesus Christ so that we can be with the Father in heaven shall come to you and give you encouragement for the day to come.
Blessings
Graham
365 Exhortations 