Their voices rose in a wave of praise, a celebration of the new day. Trills. Chirping. A melody rode along the chorus of birdsong coming from the lush greens of the apple tree. My feathered friends weren’t visible, but I recognized their praise.
Life had been hard. My soul grew weary from the relentless battles and my heart ached to hear from the Lord.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus, Who Both Began and Finished the Race We’re In
With my eyes closed and my ears attuned to the birdsong outside my window, I thought about the great cloud of witnesses Paul tells us about in Hebrews. We can’t see them, but by faith, can we imagine them?
“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” ~ Hebrews 12:1-3, MSG
… when you find yourself flagging in your faith … remember Jesus who endured the cross for me … and for you. And then run with endurance the race before us.
I smiled.
My Heart Swelled with Gratitude and Hope
I smiled because I could imagine the great cloud of witnesses cheering me on — rooting for me during the fiercest battle of my life. I pictured Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father praying for me, interceding in my time of need, encouraging me to remain steadfast.
Isn’t that a glorious thought?
As I continued to sit by the window, watching and listening to the chorus of birdsong, I noticed some movement. A solitary finch hopped away from the choir and began to belt out his song from the end of the branch. A soloist! God opened a window of heaven and gave me a glimpse of a tiny canter singing praise — just for me. My heart swelled with gratitude … and hope.
Oh Lord, open my eyes that I might see a glimpse of the heavenly hosts You have given charge over me. Open my ears that I might hear their cheers of encouragement to not give up, to cross the finish line in victory. And help me keep my eyes on You while I run, while I make my strides in rhythm to the cheers of the heavenly hosts.
Moments later, the finch dove back into the cover of leaves and branches to join the chorus — the choir — I couldn’t see, but I certainly could hear.
The Birdsong Ministered to My Soul
The chorus of birdsong heralding the dawn continued until the sun had successfully overcome the mountain ridge and stood stately in the eastern sky.
I suppose the cheers from our cloud of witnesses — His heavenly hosts — will do the same. They will steadfastly cheer us on until we successfully step across the threshold of eternity and stand before the Lord our God.
Selah
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
Thank you for your beautiful description of the birdsong outside your window. We are truely blessed by the simplicity of God’s creation joining an anthem of praise every day with the rising of the sun and the first hint of dawn heralded by birds in our trees.
Blessings from Karen in frosty Southland, NZ.
Karen, my heart is smiling so big after reading your precious comment. Thank you. You have blessed me with your kind words, Nan
The Lord has used birds in my darkest times too. As I walked through a very difficult ten year season I would see an Eastern Bluebird every time my heart felt the lowest. I would see one sitting on a fence post as I drove through the countryside or it would fly right past the front of my vehicle. The Bluebirds became a symbol of hope to me. It was like the Lord was saying, “Hold on, it’s going to get better, there’s hope and healing at the end of this great trial.” It happened so many times at my lowest points that there was no mistake that it was the Lord using these birds to encourage me and give me hope. He even says that he will use the animals and the earth to teach us. Job 12:7. The Eastern Bluebird is still a sign of hope and encouragement to me to this very day.
Yes!! Me, too 🙂 Every time I see a bluebird I am reminded of the tabernacle, which in turn reminds me of God’s presence. He instructed the Israelites to us blue, purple, and scarlet threads in the curtains of the tabernacle. The blue was to remind them to look up into the heavens and remember that He alone is God. Isn’t that beautiful? I’m hearing from many people who find the Lord throughout creation. Isn’t He amazing?