Bird-brained behavior

I just finished repairing and reinstalling one of my bird feeders, and this morning I stopped in my tracks when I saw a bright red cardinal enjoying his breakfast with a smaller white-striped bird I didn’t recognize. 

Then I saw him feeding the little guy—ah, what a good parent!  Daddy even aggressively chased off a sparrow from the breakfast table so his growing kiddo could eat privately. (Poor sparrow.  He was just trying to quietly go about his morning also…)

It was fascinating to watch, this avian culture!  But I just wanted to be sure I was identifying it all accurately.  Thus, I turned to that incontestable resource—the internet—and guess what?  It wasn’t a juvenile cardinal Daddy was feeding; it was a juvenile cow bird!

Where’s a screen writer when you need one?

Have you noticed that it seems like quite a few flicks coming out of southern Cal studios are based on true events?  Maybe the “Industry” kingpins (holding the purse strings) have realized that it’s profitable for art to imitate life rather than the other way around.

Clearly, there’s enough drama, intrigue, and corresponding courage in life and history to keep the screen writers busy.  Here’s one I haven’t seen written yet.

Your place, or mine?

Which was kind of the question God was asking here—who’s place is this anyway??

“This message was given concerning the Ammonites. This is what the LORD says: ‘Are there no descendants of Israel to inherit the land of Gad? Why are you, who worship Molech, living in its towns?’”

The short version is that the Ammonites were the bad guys, and

Start with what you have, not what you think you need

pixabay

It’s tempting to be discouraged when there is a formidable task at hand and (seemingly) not the appropriate resources to accomplish that task.  Most of us have been there, are there, and/or will be there in the near future.  Such was the case with King Saul’s son, Prince Jonathon.

Context:  His father having just failed his first spiritual test by not waiting on the prophet Samuel, the Israelite army was now in severe disarray and facing the menacing Philistine nation.  Less than a thousand Jewish soldiers remained.  Thankfully, one of them was Jonathon.

Make that two: Jonathon AND the nameless guy who carried his armor (as well as his own, I might add. I love nameless people in the Bible and the important role they play!  But that’s for another story.)

Jonathon was undoubtedly aware of his father’s blunder, but saw the task at hand, counted the resources he had, and chose not to shy away from honoring God.  He says decidedly:

 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!” (1 Samuel 14:6, NLT)

Here’s the thought: when the battle is truly God’s, the circumstances pale in comparison to God’s power and provision, and most of all, His character.  The young prince and his assistant began with what they had, and God provided the rest, in some pretty amazing ways as it turned out.

It gives me pause, as well as encouragement, to ask myself what things God is putting in my sphere of influence to accomplish—in a relationship that seems broken beyond repair, or in a financial situation that was tanked by recent economic downturns, or any other number of things that seem (and are) impossible for me…

…but not for Him.