Tag Archives: Provision

Birds of the Bible – Loading the Ark

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Snowy Egret - Wind Blown at Ft DeSoto 11-22-12 Thanksgiving

Snowy Egret – Wind Blown at Ft DeSoto 11-22-12 Thanksgiving

Dan and I just got back from a trip to Tampa for just 2 nights for the Thanksgiving holiday. My brother had a knee replacement on Wednesday (he’s doing fine), so we tied visiting him and doing some birdwatching in that area. Do you know how much we carried with us for just three days? Of course we carried our binoculars, cameras, tripod, laptop, plus clothes. Plus…

I also am starting my reading cycle through the Bible again and just read about Noah and the Ark. Because the earth had become so corrupt and violent, God said He was going to  destroy man, beast, creeping things and birds.

So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:7-9 NKJV)

And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:13 NKJV)

Willit - Laughing Gull - Forster's Tern at Ft DeSoto 11-22-12 Thanksgiving

Willit – Laughing Gull – Forster’s Tern at Ft DeSoto 11-22-12 Thanksgiving

Most of us know this history in the Word. Through Genesis 6, the Ark is built and Noah keeps trying to tell others to repent, but eventually the time comes and it is time to “Load the Ark.”

And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. (Genesis 6:19-22 NKJV)

Noah didn’t need to worry about taking cameras and laptops, but they had a whole lot more to get loaded on the Ark. We have all taken trips and know how long it takes to get everything in the car or van. Can you imagine when the LORD finally said that it was time to “start loading.” Noah and his family had been preparing and gathering the food, water, and supplies. If I read the first few verses of Genesis 7 correctly, they had a week (seven days) to put that in and the animals and birds. Those came to Noah, but they still had to arrange them into the different places on board the Ark. Whew! Some of us have enough trouble just loading the trunk.

Shorebirds at MacDill AFB shore 11-23-12

Many believe the Critters rested most of the time while on board.

I am thankful that Noah and his family lived righteously and that they found grace. If not, I wouldn’t be writing this blog, nor would I be enjoying all the things the Lord created, especially the birds I love to write about.

Praise the Lord!

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Other Birds of the Bible articles about this:

The Lord Provides For Them

Seven By Seven

God’s Commands and Promises To Them – Part I

Leaving the Ark

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Vol 2 #2 – Gambel’s Partridge

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Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii)

Gambel’s Partridge by Birds Illustrated by Color Photography

From col. F. M. Woodruff.

GAMBEL’S PARTRIDGE.

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AMBEL’S PARTRIDGE, of which comparatively little is known, is a characteristic game bird of Arizona and New Mexico, of rare beauty, and with habits similar to others of the species of which there are about two hundred. Mr. W. E. D. Scott found the species distributed throughout the entire Catalina region in Arizona below an altitude of 5,000 feet. The bird is also known as the Arizona Quail.

The nest is made in a depression in the ground sometimes without any lining. From eight to sixteen eggs are laid. They are most beautifully marked on a creamy-white ground with scattered spots and blotches of old gold, and sometimes light drab and chestnut red. In some specimens the gold coloring is so pronounced that it strongly suggests to the imagination that this quail feeds upon the grains of the precious metal which characterizes its home, and that the pigment is imparted to the eggs.

After the nesting season these birds commonly gather in “coveys” or bevies, usually composed of the members of but one family. As a rule they are terrestrial, but may take to trees when flushed. They are game birds par excellence, and, says Chapman, trusting to the concealment afforded by their dull colors, attempt to avoid detection by hiding rather than by flying. The flight is rapid and accompanied by a startling whirr, caused by the quick strokes of their small, concave, stiff-feathered wings. They roost on the ground, tail to tail, with heads pointing outward; “a bunch of closely huddled forms—a living bomb whose explosion is scarcely less startling than that of dynamite manufacture.”

The Partridge is on all hands admitted to be wholly harmless, and at times beneficial to the agriculturist. It is an undoubted fact that it thrives with the highest system of cultivation, and the lands that are the most carefully tilled, and bear the greatest quantity of grain and green crops, generally produce the greatest number of Partridges.

Summary:

GAMBEL’S PARTRIDGE.—Callipepla gambeli.

Range—Northwestern Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, and western Utah and western Texas.

Nest—Placed on the ground, sometimes without any lining.

Eggs—From eight to sixteen.

Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) by S Slayton

Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii) by S Slayton

Lee’s Addition:

Partridges are mentioned in two verses, thus making it a Bible Bird. Of course, the Gambel’s is not mentioned, only his family. They belong to the Galliformes order and are now called the Gambel’s Quail. They are in the Odontophoridae – New World Quail Family along with 33 other species (3.1 IOC).

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains. (1 Samuel 26:20 ESV)

Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool. (Jeremiah 17:11 ESV)

Since they are now known as Quails, that species also appears in Scripture four times. Exodus 16:13, Numbers 11:31-32, and Psalms 105:40 all mention quail as a provision for His people. We were privileged to see the Gambel’s Quail in California in 1999. They are so neat walking around with that top knot bobbing along.

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. (Exodus 16:13 ESV)

Then a wind from the LORD sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. (Numbers 11:31-32 ESV)

They asked, and he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. (Psalms 105:40 ESV)

Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) ©WikiC

Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii) ©WikiC

“The Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California. The Gambel’s quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.” (Wikipedia)

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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited – Introduction

The above article is the first article in the monthly serial that was started in January 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.

To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

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(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)

Next Article – The Yellow Warbler

The Previous Article – To A Water-Fowl

ABC’s Of The Gospel

Links:

Odontophoridae – New World Quail Family

GALLIFORMES – Fowl, Quail, Guans, Currasows, Megapodes Order

Gambel’s Quail – Wikipedia

Gambel’s Quail – All About Birds

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Vol 2 #2 – To A Water-Fowl

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Black Swan and Wood Duck female - Lake Morton 6-28-12 by Lee

Black Swan and Wood Duck female

TO A WATER-FOWL

Whither, ’midst falling dew
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
Far through their rosy depths dost thou pursue
Thy solitary way?

Vainly the fowler’s eye
Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong,
As, darkly painted on the crimson sky,
Thy figure floats along.

Seek’st thou the plashy brink
Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide,
Or where the rocky billows rise and sink
On the chafed ocean side.

There is a Power whose care
Teaches thy way along that pathless coast—
The desert and illimitable air—
Lone wandering, but not lost.

All day thy wings have fanned,
At that far height, the cold thin atmosphere,
Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land
Though the dark night is near.

And soon that toil shall end;
Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and nest,
And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend,
Soon o’er thy sheltered nest.

Thou’rt gone, the abyss of heaven
Hath swallowed up thy form; yet on my heart
Deeply has sunk the lesson thou hast given,
And shall not soon depart.

He who from zone to zone,
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must tread alone,
Will lead my steps aright.

William Cullen Bryant.

Cape Barren Goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) by Ian

Cape Barren Goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) by Ian

Lee’s Addition:

Storks know when to fly south. So do doves, swifts and thrushes. But my people do not know what I require them to do. (Jeremiah 8:7 NIrV)

“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; (Job 12:7 NKJV)

Wikipedia say this of Waterfowl They “are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans.
They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies. They have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as poultry for meat and eggs. The domestic duck is sometimes kept as a pet.

Some definitions of the term ‘waterfowl’ include the saltwater shorebirds or waders, gulls, pelicans, and herons, as well as seabirds such as the albatross, but ‘fowl’ especially refers to birds used by humans for game.

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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited – Introduction

The above article is the first article in the monthly serial that was started in January 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.

To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited

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(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)

Next Article –  Gambel’s Partridge

The Previous Article – The Turkey Vulture

Wordless Birds

Links:

Anseriformes Order

Anatidae Family

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Birds of the Bible – Trees and Birds

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Eagle in Tree on a windy day by Dan

These were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the earth, And its height was great. The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the heavens, And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth. Its leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it. (Daniel 4:10-12 NKJV)

What an interesting passage. Actually, this was part of the vision or dream that Nebuchadnezzar had and he is revealing it to Daniel. He is looking for an explanation for it. (See Daniel 4:19 + for the interpretation)

Daniel gives him the interpretation in the rest of the Chapter 4, but I want to concentrate on the tree and the birds. I have seen so many photos and witnessed birds enjoying themselves in the trees. The Lord created them all and provides for the tree, the beast, the birds, and us.

The trees provide food (fruit and seeds), leaves give shade for the animals and birds, the limbs provide a resting place, especially for birds, but I have seen a few leopards and koalas resting on them also.

Verse like:

Savannah Sparrow singing by Ray

Savannah Sparrow singing by Ray

By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. (Psalms 104:12 NKJV)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) by Daves BirdingPix

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) by Daves BirdingPix

The trees of the LORD are full of sap, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted, (Psalms 104:16 NKJV) (Many birds like the sap – Sapsuckers for one)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) in nest by Ray

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) in nest by Ray

Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees. (Psalms 104:17 NKJV)

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Matthew 8:20 NKJV)

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32 NKJV)

Cedar Waxwing on Cedar Tree at Birdwatchers Digest.

Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. (1 Kings 4:33 NKJV)

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Our Great Creator has wonderfully designed so many things to work together to provide for each other. Birds need trees and trees need birds. He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. And don’t you just enjoy watching the birds in the trees?

For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! (Psalms 117:2 NKJV)

Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD. (Psalms 138:5 NKJV)

Scarlet Myzomela (Myzomela sanguinolenta) by Ian

Scarlet Myzomela (Myzomela sanguinolenta) by Ian

Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. (Psalms 147:5 NKJV)

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. (Deuteronomy 10:17 NKJV)

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Birds of the Bible – Job 38 – 39

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Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) Memphis Zoo by Lee

Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) Memphis Zoo by Lee

Dan and I have been reading through Job for our devotions. Today was Job 38 and 39. Wow! All of Job’s “friends” have been trying to persuade Job how wrong and unrighteous he is and Job has been trying to figure out why he is being punished, yet defending his righteousness.

Finally in Job 38, God speaks. Job has been asking to speak to God about his situation. (From the Today in the Word, Vol II, Day 28) “So, when Job finally gets the audience with the Lord that he requested, he is not the one asking the questions!  Instead, like a prosecuting attorney, the Lord fires off the questions and informs Job ‘You will answer me’ (38:3). God challenges Job’s insinuation that He wasn’t administering justice fairly. This interrogation covers Job 38 and 39, but it could be paraphrased in this one penetrating question: ‘Were you present at creation?’ ”

If you haven’t read Job lately and especially Chapter 38 and 39, it worth reading.

Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

Anyway, within those two chapters, God mentions the Raven and the Ostrich.

Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food? (Job 38:39-41 ESV)

Then in the next chapter God tells about the Ostrich that He created:

The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love? For she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed on the ground, forgetting that a foot may crush them and that the wild beast may trample them. She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear, because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding. When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider. (Job 39:13-18 ESV)

Both of these birds have been covered in other Birds of the Bible articles, but just wanted to share them with you again. We know that God provides for the birds and He has promised to provide for His own, Christians. He also, makes birds different, at His will. Who are we to question His knowledge and wisdom. The same is true with us who know the Lord. He gives each of us different talents and abilities. We are not to question why He made us thus.

Birds of the Bible

Birds of the Bible – Ravens

Birds of the Bible – Ostrich

The Gospel Message

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Birds in Hymns – Sweet Is The Memory Of Thy Grace

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American Robin (Turdus migratorius) eating by Jim Fenton

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) eating by Jim Fenton

They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. (Psalms 145:7 KJV)

Sweet Is The Memory Of Thy Grace

Words by Isaac Watts, The Psalms of Da­vid, 1719.

Music: Her­mann, by Ni­ko­laus Her­mann, 1560

Sweet Is The Memory Of Thy Grace

Sweet is the memory of Thy grace,
My God, my heav’nly King;
Let age to age Thy righteousness
In sounds of glory sing.

God reigns on high, but not confines
His goodness to the skies;
Through the whole earth His bounty shines,
And every want supplies.

With longing eyes Thy creatures wait
On Thee for daily food;
Thy liberal hand provides their meat,
And fills their mouths with good.

How kind are Thy compassions, Lord!
How slow Thine anger moves!
But soon He sends His pardoning word
To cheer the souls He loves.

Creatures with all their endless race
Thy power and praise proclaim;
But saints that taste Thy richer grace
Delight to bless Thy Name.

See More Birds in Hymns

Words from Net Hymnal

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Birds of the Bible – As the Bird…So Are We

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Lee feeding Wood Stork at Lake Morton by Dan Jan 2011

Lee feeding Wood Stork at Lake Morton by Dan Jan 2011

While watching the birds at my feeders and reflecting on what I had just read in my devotions, I started thinking about how the truths of God’s Word applies to the birds and to me. There are differences of course, but there are many similarities. Those are the ones this article is about.

To begin, we are both created. The Lord created the birds and He created humans. We both have bodies and spirits, but humans were given a soul and were created in His Image.

So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21 NKJV)

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV)

There is a difference between us:

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. (1 Corinthians 15:39 NKJV)

Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) with young by Ian

Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) with young by Ian

Then the Lord commanded them to be “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill.” Both were told to reproduce with the difference being that man was given dominion over the critters.

And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. …And God saw that it was good.(Genesis 1:22-23, 25 NKJV)

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 NKJV)

Cedar Waxwing Eating by Steve Slayton

Cedar Waxwing Eating by Steve Slayton

God gave both the birds and man (humans) every green herb to eat.

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food“; and it was so. (Genesis 1:29-30 NKJV)

Swallow Tanager (Tersina viridis) by Dario Sanches

Swallow Tanager (Tersina viridis) by Dario Sanches

We were both created “very good.”

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31 NKJV)

Then Adam and Eve disobeyed God and both the birds and myself were placed under a curse. Neither of us enjoy the fellowship and peace that was there in the Garden of Eden. My personal belief is that the animals and birds were very tame, that Adam could call or speak to them and they would come without hesitation. But now, they are afraid of us, and we (humans) need a Savior. (The Gospel Message)

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. (Genesis 9:2 NKJV)

We all belong to the Lord:

I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. (Psalms 50:11-12 NKJV)

Western Great Egret (Ardea alba) With Fish by AestheticPhotos

Western Great Egret (Ardea alba) With Fish by AestheticPhotos

We and the birds are provided for:

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:25-26 NKJV)

God has given each kind of bird different beaks, feet, appetites, habitats, and places to dwell. The Lord has given those of us who have accepted Him as Savior different abilities, gifts, talents, places to live (like missionaries) and jobs to do. He has given both a variety that makes them and us very interesting to behold.

There are more things that could be mentioned, but for now, Praise the Lord that He cares about both the birds and us!

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Birds In Hymns – More Than These

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House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) by Ray

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) by Ray

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:31 KJV)

Birds In Hymns – More Than These

Words by Ina D. Og­don, 1914 (1872-1964)

Music – “Ka­ra­chi” by Bentley D. Ackley (1872-1958)

More Than These

I need not trouble for the morrow,
For I am in my Father’s care;
He will go with me as I journey,
For all my need He will prepare.

Refrain

I know that He provides the lilies,
His eye each falling sparrow sees;
And so my soul will fear no evil,
For I am more to Him than these.

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) by Ray

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) by Ray

I need not either thirst or hunger;
His grace will never be denied;
He leads me to the living waters;
His daily manna is supplied.

Refrain

I know that He provides the lilies,
His eye each falling sparrow sees;
And so my soul will fear no evil,
For I am more to Him than these.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Albino ©©LuSerra

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Albino ©©LuSerra

I need not an abiding city,
For I can tarry but a night;
My heart, my treasure, are in Heaven,
My raiment is a robe of white.

Refrain

I know that He provides the lilies,
His eye each falling sparrow sees;
And so my soul will fear no evil,
For I am more to Him than these.

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) by Ray

Grasshopper Sparrow

O may my faith increase before Him,
My service here His blessing gain;
Let me seek first my Father’s kingdom,
For all beside must be in vain!

Refrain

I know that He provides the lilies,
His eye each falling sparrow sees;
And so my soul will fear no evil,
For I am more to Him than these.

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To See More Birds in Hymns – Click Here

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Birds of the Bible – God’s Providence To His Creatures

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Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) being raised by a Reed Warbler©WikiC

Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) being raised by a Reed Warbler©WikiC

The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalms 145:9 NKJV)

The following thoughts and verses are from R. A.Torrey’s Topical Textbook under the category of The Providence of God.

Preserving His creatures:

Lilian's Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae) by Africaddict

Lilian's Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae) by Africaddict

You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. (Nehemiah 9:6 NKJV)

Northern Cardinal by Aestheticphotos

Northern Cardinal by Aestheticphotos

Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O LORD, You preserve man and beast. (Psalms 36:6 NKJV)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) by Nikhil Devasar

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) by Nikhil Devasar

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. (Matthew 10:29 NKJV)

Providing for His creatures:

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) flock ©USFWS

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) flock ©USFWS

These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. (Psalms 104:27-28 NKJV)

Western Great Egret (Ardea alba) With Fish by AestheticPhotos

Western Great Egret (Ardea alba) With Fish by AestheticPhotos

Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalms 136:25 KJV)

Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

Northern Raven (Corvus corax) by Ray

He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. (Psalms 147:9 KJV)

Seashore at MacDill AFB by Lee

Seashore at MacDill AFB by Lee

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26 NKJV)

Lee’s addition:

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) ©WikiC

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) ©WikiC

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:33-34 NKJV)

Birds of the Bible – The Lord Provides For Them

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Silver-eared Leiothrix (Leiothrix argentauris) by Ian

Silver-eared Leiothrix (Leiothrix argentauris) brightly colored-by Ian

O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions. There is the sea, great and broad, In which are swarms without number, Animals both small and great. There the ships move along, And Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it. They all wait for You To give them their food in due season. You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good. (Psalms 104:24-28 NASB)

When you look at all that is around you, do you stand amazed at the Lord God’s Creative Hand or do you just think given enough time, this all came about? For me, I see an awesome Creator God that has wisdom and understanding that is way beyond my finite mind to comprehend. As I was praying and asking the Lord to help me do this article, I thought, “Lord you knew I was going to make this prayer this morning.” “You know what I’ll pray about tomorrow, and the next, and next year.” Whoa! I had to finish up my prayer and not get carried away. But, now, I had my idea for this blog today.

In Genesis 1 we learn that when the critters, birds, man and woman were created, they were vegetarians.

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:29-31 NKJV)

God knew that man was going to sin and that the he (man and woman) and all the critters, birds, fish, and the earth were going to be cursed. God knows the end from the beginning. “Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psalms 90:2 NKJV) Just as He provide for man, that Jesus Christ would come to pay the price for our sins; He provided for the animals and birds so they could defend themselves from the cursed nature of other critters and birds.

Silver-eared Leiothrix (Leiothrix argentauris) by Ian

Silver-eared Leiothrix blended in tree-by Ian

Watching birds, one of my favorite things to do, you can see God’s Protective Hand at work. The colors alone, give a clue. The male birds seem to be the most brightly colored, which helps the get a mate. Their mating helps preserve their species and the female, whose color is usually subtle, is protected as she sits on the nest. The bright colors of many birds, which I love to see, seem to blend right in with their surrounding. Again protecting them from predators.

God gave the birds a command to reproduce.  “And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” (Genesis 1:22 NKJV) When they came off the Ark, He said to Noah, “Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” (Genesis 8:17 NKJV)

Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) by Lee at NA

Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) by Lee at NA

The predators!  Many of the plants before the Flood were large and thick. The beaks and claws were used to help them eat plants, now, those same beaks and claws help them catch prey. They were still provided for by God’s forethought even though that was not what the Creator wanted them to do. He knew the end from the beginning.

I could name trait after trait, where the Creator’s love, omniscience (all-knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), and care is shown to critters and birds. Look and observe the birds and you will see that they had a Awesome Creator that knew the end from the beginning and has well provided for them.

He sends forth springs in the valleys; They flow between the mountains; They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; They lift up their voices among the branches. He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, (Psalms 104:10-14 NASB)

What about us? Do we observe and realize the love, care, omniscience, and omnipotence in our (man’s) creation? How about your body, eyes, skin, internal organ, heart, mind? They were all fantastically created by a loving God. Yes, they are falling apart. Yes, they become corrupt. Yes, we die. That is because of the curse and the fall of man into sin.
But!

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 KJV)

Let me leave you with encouragement and thoughts that the Lord gave his disciples:

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. (Luke 12:22-31 NKJV)

The Wordless Birds
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