June 14, 2013 (Friday)
“Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God” — Isaiah 41:10 NCV
My eyes were glued to the T.V. screen as it showed one after another many different kinds of Hummingbirds. Toward the end of the program, nests of the tiny creatures were shown, each nest in full view of the others, clustered on the branches in a host tree. They were “Black Chinned Hummingbird” nests. (Most of the Hummers we see in Rockport are just passing through, but those that build nests usually build them away from other birds). The Black Chinned birds build their nests in colonies. Okay, you say, that’s unusual, but so what? The “so what” is that the camera zoomed out and there in the center of the Hummingbird colony was a huge Cooper’s Hawk nest! The birds intentionally built their nests close to the hawks. Wow, how unexpected.
Fact is, the Hummers are so small and so fast the hawks don’t consider chasing them worth the trouble. So they co-exist peacefully. The Hummingbirds have discovered that many of their own natural predators don’t bother them when they realize they have to contend with the hawks. Evidently,it’s a nice arrangement for the Hummingbirds.
Devotional Thought: The verse that came to my mind when I saw this spectacular arrangement on TV was, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” The beautiful tiny birds are not afraid of the usual suspects because somehow they know the hawk’s presence will protect them. What? Protect them? Yep, as incredible as it seems to be, the hawks have decided to “live and let live” when it comes to Hummingbirds. I could not help but think of a parallel with Christians who live in a dangerous world. God gives us His protection, and He also has the power to turn scary stuff into comforting stuff (Romans 8:28 tells us so: “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him (NCV).” The Lord knows all the dangers. He knows about those hawks next door, little bird, but you have no reason to be afraid because the Lord is with you (Isaiah 41:10).