LESSONS WITH BIRDS
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15, ERV
Theme: The Bible doesn’t become outdated; from childhood throughout life, God’s Word remains relevant.
LITTLE BLUE EGGS
I’ve been sitting here beside my kitchen window for several hours, off and on, watching the patient rhythms of a mama robin on her nest. In fact, I moved my laptop over here on purpose, and have been very nosy in admiring her growing family for a little over a week. Did you know that daddy robins stay nearby and take care of the babies, too? Half a dozen times today, I’ve seen him come and perch right beside her on the nest with a worm in his mouth. It’s been raining, so the worms have been plentiful. Mama robin senses him behind her, scoots back, and three little mouths pop up, wide, yellow, and chirpy, ready for their snack from dad. Then he leaves, and she nestles down protectively on top of the babies again. When the rain is heavy, she spreads her wings wide over the whole of her nest. When the rain lets up, she relaxes her wings by her side.
I did some research today, and I learned that the daddy bird will soon take the babies to a roosting tree with other robins while they’re learning how to survive on their own. He’ll continue to help feed those adolescent birds while mama broods again on a new nest with a new clutch of little blue eggs. He’ll sing his song to her while she tends to her eggs, just like he was doing a week ago, and a cycle like the one I’ve had the joy of witnessing this week will begin anew.
BIRD VERSES
Suddenly, today, the verses about birds in the Bible are new to me: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26, NIV). It’s a beautiful verse I’ve had memorized for years, but I have never spent time studying a bird the way I’ve studied this mama robin. The idea of God providing for her little family is now a picture God’s provision, tangible and true, in my mind.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37, ESV). I saw this with my own eyes today! Jesus: a protector, a shelter, a place of comfort and peace. I cannot imagine a world where the robin chicks in that little nest would not welcome the wings of their mother. How clear the words of Jesus became to me today, as I pondered Jerusalem’s rejection of her King.
LAYERS OF TRUTH
The words on the pages of your Bible are alive. They are millennia old, but also brand new. As I have begun to teach the Bible to my children, I realize that I, too, am continuing to reap wisdom from the living narrative of Scripture. Sometimes, I get so excited I want to teach them every nugget about every story all at once, forgetting that it has taken my entire lifetime to learn even the tiny bit about Scripture that I know.
Like staring at a piece of art, reading a poem or a novel, or marveling at the faces of my children, God has been so faithful to reveal a new layer of Truth to me every time I seek Him intently in the pages of Scripture.
Make It Personal: Perhaps you’ve known Bible stories since you were a small child attending a Sunday school. Or perhaps you are newly walking on this journey called Faith, and you’re not even sure where to begin with Scripture. Regardless of whether you’ve been walking with God for 30 years or 30 minutes, this is true: the Word of God is alive. There are many ways to meditate on God’s Word, letting it breathe life into you as you read.
One of my favorite ways is to read a verse over and over again, emphasizing only one word at a time. Pick a verse you love – a verse you’ve known your whole life, perhaps – and this week, try this method of Bible meditation. If you can’t think of a verse, I love this one: “I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free” (Isaiah 44:22, NLT). I hope God drenches you in freedom this week as you meditate on His words, spoken for you.
Pray: Oh Lord, look at You! You have given us page after page of living Truth in which to seek and find You. How deeply You love us. How precious we are to You. Thank You for loving us so much that You have provided us with this endless love letter. Help us to seek You with intention on those delicate pages. Meet us wherever we are and teach us exactly what You’d have us learn. In the Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Read: Psalm 119:10-18; Matthew 24:35; Matthew 4:4
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105, ESV