Early this morning I was feeding a dozen or so hummingbirds that were scampering all over my garden, taking turns sipping homemade nectar from the feeder gadgets posted strategically among the plants. It was an amazing reminder to me that our great God who took the time to decorate the universe with vast galaxies did not hold back one bit when he created the tiniest birds, these sweet creatures with such amazing detail, aeronautic prowess and charm.
Then I was reminded that we are like those hummingbirds. We too seek nectar from the hand of God. Truth enters our hearts and sets us free. It comes to us in many ways as we read and study His Word, hear testimonies and stories of His faithfulness and allow our sanctified imaginations dream big dreams, tiny creatures though we are! The Word of God and good Christian books serve as kingdom decanters. Prayer and worship open us up to receive the nectar of heaven that comes from the ministry of the Holy Spirit to quench the thirst in our souls.
The reason these little creatures are called “Hummingbirds” is because they give off a humming sound with the flap of their wings. These curious little creatures hover in mid-air at rapid wing-flapping rates, which vary from around 12 beats per second in the largest species, to in excess of 80 in some of the smallest. They have the highest mass-specific metabolic rate of any homeothermic animal, which explains why they make frequent visits to our garden for a nectar pitstop!
Could there be a lesson here for us? Perhaps our prayers sound like the flapping of hummingbirds’ wings to our Father in heaven. Perhaps He finds joy in supplying us with the nectar of joy, that “joy of the Lord” which is our strength, found in His presence!