The Preaching Bird

Interestingly, there is a bird actually called the “preacher bird”, or red-eyed Vireo: family Virconidae (order Passeriformes)! They can be any of 42 species of New World birds. They are the most primitive of the New World songbirds. They are anywhere from 10 to 18 centimeters (4 to 7 inches) long, and with red eyes (irises). They occur in woodlands and thickets, where they slowly and laboriously gather insects from foliage. Interestingly, also, is that the “preacher bird” is a compulsive singer: Songs of repeated, often melodious, loud, short phrases, over and over again; harsh scolding notes. … A message for the ministry, or God’s people, and, hence, the potent and respected God is speaking to us in these last days. (2 SM 315). The Great Teacher, Jesus Christ, brought His hearers in contact with nature, that they might listen to the voice which speaks in all created things. He delighted to gather the spiritual teaching from the surroundings of nature and of daily life. The birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the sower and the seed, the shepherd and the sheep – with these Christ illustrated the immortal truth. In His lessons there was something of interest to every mind, to appeal to every heart. (Ed 102) The perfection of God’s work and nature, is as clearly seen, as the tiniest insect, as in the kind of birds, the albatross, which can attain a length of 1.5 metres (5 feet), and wing spread of about 13 feet (4 meters). The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, doesn’t it? It brings us into communion with the Creator. It was He that filled the earth with beauty and the air with song-birds. And upon all things in earth, air, and sky, He wrote the message of His Father’s love. Creation sings God’s praise. Even now all created things declare the glory of His excellence. There is nothing, save the selfish heart of man, that lives unto itself. No bird that cleaves the air but ministers to some other life; no animal that moves upon the ground even, but ministers to another life. (DA 20)

In the song of the bird, the singing of the trees, music in the air and the sea, we may still hear His voice who talked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. We are to lift up our eyes on high and behold who has created these things (DA 281″72; Isa 40:18-29; Ezek 20:20). He calls all the birds (and creatures) by name; myriads of birds, an estimated world-bird population of about a hundred billion with the world’s human population.

The lovely birds are caroling forth their happy songs to the Creator, who speaks to their senses of the goodness, mercy and benevolence of God (CG 54). God’s voice is heard in the singing birds; Christ’s voice is heard in the singing birds (DA 281; Ed 129) Be cheerful while listening to the singing birds (AH 510). Are you listening? Singing birds have an exhilarating effect upon the nervous system, and the sick even, are benefited by hearing them sing (MM 231; 234).

Jesus spent most of His life in the open air, and He delighted in listening to the birds of the air and uniting His voice with them in their happy songs of praise (SD135). On the Mount of Blessing, Jesus pointed His hearers to the birds as they warbled their carols of praise, untroubled, or burdened with thoughts of care, “for they sow not, neither do they reap, yet the Great Father provides for their needs. And He asks, “Are ye not of much more value than they?” (Mat. 6:26) It is He who gave- to the sparrow His song, who says, “Behold the birds, consider the lilies. Why has He given you the singing birds? Because of the overflowing love of a Father’s heart that would brighten and gladden your path of life (MB 96).

All that was needed for your existence and survival of this earth would have still been yours, without flowers or birds, but God was not content to provide what would be enough for you to just barely survive or exist. NO! He has filled the earth, air and sky with glimpses of beauty to tell you of His loving thought for you. This beauty is just a small gleam from the shining of His glory. If He has done this, how can you doubt that He will give you every needed blessing?

I had a faithful bird feeder on my veranda and I noticed that every day, over and over, wordless sermons were preached to me from that serene feeder. The preachers were the birds and their message was simply this: DEPENDENCE! Dependence on God for all His creatures. YES! You and I, TOO!

Here is the brilliant sermon on God’s dependence that the birds live out faithfully, over and over, again: 1. Seek God’s provision daily. 2. Seek God’s provision expectantly, for He has satisfied you before over and over again. 3. Seek God’s provision actively, taking the responsibility to gather it in-to do something. The birds make this very clear from our opening verse: “Every one of these depends on you to give them daily food. You supply it, and they gather it. You open wide your hand to feed them and they are satisfied with all your bountiful provision.”(Psalm 104:27,28).

The Bible is like a table (or feeder) loaded with nourishing food that we need everyday: Like, promises; instruction, wisdom, comfort, encouragement, protection. God is marvelously telling us to come and dine with Him now, that we might one day feast with Him in Heaven. But, we often fail to do this. Why? Because we depend on everything and everyone else, but Him, and then blindly wonder why our faith is feeble and we are anxious… For nothing. “Be not anxious” (Math 6:25). He who has given you life knows your need of the Lord to sustain you.

But, if like our feathered friends, the birds, we’ll come and feast DAILY, EXPECTANTLY, and ACTIVELY, the Lord will surely provide for all of your needs. Depend on it! God’s word provides the nourishment. We need it to grow, but if we don’t feast on it, here and now, we’ll never have vitality, or zeal. We will become “spiritual dwarfs”!

The Great Provider for man and His creatures opens His hand and supplies all His creative living works. The birds of the air are not beneath His notice. But He does not drop the good into their bills (beaks), or nests, but He makes provision for their needs. THEY must gather the grains He has scattered for them. THEY must prepare the material for their little nests. THEY must feed their young. THEY cheerfully sing while they work… Because they’re happy, “for your heavenly Father feedeth them”, and, “are you not much better1han they?” Are you not intelligent, spiritual, worshippers of more value than the birds of the air? Will not the Author of our being, the Preserver of our life, the One who formed us in His own divine image, provide for our necessities if we but trust Him? (SC 123)… DAILY, EXPECTANTLY, ACTIVELY? It’s there, gather it in. Depend on God, it’s only right!

From all this, we can see that as we study the lessons in all created things and all of life’s experiences, that the same laws which govern the things of nature, and the events of life are to control us; That they are given for our good, and only by obedience to them can we find true happiness and success!

Nature reveals to us that the great law of life is the law of service (Lk 27:27). The same law of service is written upon all things in nature (Heb 1:14); the birds of the air, the trees they nestle in, the forests, leaves, the flowers, the sun and stars – all have their ministry. Each takes to give. “Give and it shall be given unto you.” (Lk 6:38) A lesson written in nature and the Holy Word: All channels to the world (Ed lO3).

The law of the life of a disciple is Give, Give, Give (Lk 6:38).. .It’ s the “instinct of giving.” As Christians, our giving is to be proportionate to all we have received of the infinite giving of God. “Freely you have received, freely give.”(MtlO:8) Not how much we give, but what we do not give is the test of our Christianity.

We have seen, also, and learned how the world all fits together; the intertwining of nature. Things just prophetically fit together, because an intimate personal God watches over them, and preserves them. Birds (and animals) eat on schedule, not because their habitat contains adequate food, but because God gives them their food “at the proper time”. The Lord says, “The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But my people know not the judgment of the Lord.”{Jer. 8:7). When is your “proper time”, and “appointed season”?

Many today believe that the birds and creatures of today are of no real value to anyone and are simply for food, sport, or commercial uses. For others they are of some interest as dainty, fluffy pets, but to God they are extraordinarily worthy and of priceless value. How does nature affect you? How do you affect nature?

The songbirds of today are mainly silent, songless, frightened, caged captives, imprisoned, exposed to enemies constantly… rare… many extinct… endangered… in a suffering, perishing… careless world! “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now; even the things of nature, like animals, birds, fish, plants, suffer in sickness and death as they await this Great Day; when God will resurrect His children. But even the anin1als and material creation, cursed for man’s sake (Gen 3:17), will be delivered by Christ (Rom 8:19-22;
Isa.11:6-9).

Are birds a part of your life? Is there a “preacher bird” in your life?…crying out loud, urgent, divine messages over and over again… by the voice of God? Or, is there an “albatross” in your life? …a “wandering albatross”… a seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt or responsibility something large or burdensome that is impeding action or progress in your bird- cage life? If so, remember that every breath of life depends on HIS will. The psalmist ends (104:35), interestingly, with a wish that God would clean up the earth, “cleanse it of all wickedness and that sinners vanish – those who mar its perfection by1heir rejection of God’s will and refuse to praise Him.” The beauty of the earth and air of songbirds, created by God, calls out for purity – purity and sincerity of the heart.”

The time is soon coming when faithful believers, the children of God, at the second coming of Christ, will say, “the singing of the birds has come.” (Canticles 2:12),

“Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord.”
Amen