March 2023 - Manna in the Morning
Matthew 6:33. But seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you as well.
I love birds, and I love to feed the birds. I have bird-feeders that hang on my back deck, and every morning, I feed the birds. It is one of the first things I do, because after putting out the seed, I settle into my “morning chair” which has a good view of the back deck. Over the course of the day, I can witness the many visitors my bird-feeders lure into my line of sight.
Cardinals, Blue Jays, Carolina Wrens, Juncos and Mourning Doves. I have purple finches and gold finches and a variety of sparrows. Bluebirds are seen occasionally, and on the rare occasion, a downy woodpecker. The squirrels come too, of course they do.
One morning, a small group of songbirds alighted within minutes of my putting out their feast. They hopped from post to post, eating from the abundant piles of sunflower chips and white millet. I could hear their calls to one another, happy sounds without a hint of stress. Many times, the little birds are not the first to arrive. The mourning doves are larger and rather aggressive. They will settle into the feeder, and fly at the smaller birds that approach. They will chase the little birds away from the deck posts piled with seed. The earlier the little birds come, the more peaceful their morning meal.
I watched the smaller birds feed and sing and hop and chat for nearly an hour that morning before word got to the Mourning Doves that fresh food was to be found, and the Lord whispered to me a precious truth: This is a time for you and me – free from the stresses and demands of the day – feast for I am here.
Just like in the days of the Israelites’ wilderness journey, the Lord is waiting to feed me every morning. If I will wake up to gather his blessings, they will found all over the place and will be just what I need for my day ahead.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[ His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23