THE GLORY OF GOD IN A HUMMINGBIRD:
IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS
(This post is dedicated to Janet Acton,
the most miraculous
hummingbird whisperer I know.)
There is no more
mesmerizing creatures among God’s work
than the amazing
hummingbird.
MATTHEW 6:26 ESV
Look at the birds of the air;
they neither sow nor reap
nor gather into barns,
and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
”AND NOW, LITLLE HUMMINGBIRD . . .”
”And now, take form, tiny, little hummingbird . . .”
God must have grinned, then smiled
as He added a whimsical touch
to all the birds which filled the air,
declaring for all the angels who applauded
His intention for yet
another creature to fly through
the air, speeding from blossom to blossom,
faster than birds so much larger,
occasionally stopping
to hover in the air, able to zoom
east, west north or south; . . .
a perpetual intimidator
determined to find
and secure the energy
it needs to keep flying . . .
flawlessly engineered by its Master
Designer, able to fly
by itself greater distances
than others would dare to attempt—
perfectly fitted by God for its place
in His grand design for
Creation—just one more testimony
to God’s delight in perfection.
All the beauty of nature all around me has always spoken powerfully as a testimony to God’s creative power , His authority and most surely, His Love. As I am blessed in this way, I certainly know that I am not alone. David in the Psalms writes beautifully of the splendor of God’s Creation. I imagine we all have particular beauties in nature which touch us most deeply. For me a walk on the beach in the night with the moon and stars shining overhead, and the waves majestically breaking upon the shore—well, in such moments God truly inspires me as I consider His greatness. Standing on top of a mountain top, or on the edge of a deep and grandiose valley or canyon—again I find myself awe-stricken before such a mighty testament to God’s greatness. Gazing in the delighted face of a beautiful young child—I just have to praise God for such unmitigated joy. Or looking into the glimmering, almost mischievous eyes of a wise, older saint—that assures me God is good and treasures His people. Well, I could continue—but I won’t -here’s the point—even in its fallen state, all of nature testifies to a God who loves and creates beauty straight from His heart.
Hummingbirds have to eat
every fifteen minutes
to keep their high
metabolism fueled.
Now that I call myself retired, I can spend more time among the colorful flowers in our yard—and that makes me very, very happy; for each flower reveals one more particular and precious piece of God’s glory. I thrill to the sight of butterflies dancing in the air from blossom to blossom, enjoying God’s generous banquet for their continuous and sumptuous feeding. However, these past few weeks I have been absolutely enthralled by the hummingbirds buzzing and darting across our lawn, from flower to flower and from feeder to feeder, unintentionally showing off an array of miraculous traits which express in a hurry God’s glory.
As I finish up my Quiet Time on our deck each morning, I find great joy in watching the hummingbirds competing for the nectar available in our backyard feeder. On occasion, during the summer, they have buzzed up into my face as if to get a closer look at this weird giant in their very own flower garden. Just this week I was watering flower beds while one humming bird was hopping from one blossom to another, seeming to enjoy a shower in the hot afternoon. But the highlight of my summer came as I went out front one morning to see five hummingbirds at our feeder on the front porch, four of them feeding at once, while the other waited impatiently for its turn.
The hummingbird’s tiny, yet elegant form, the complexity of God’s design for this small bit of His creation, the quickness of its dazzling maneuvers, the strength of its wings and its seemingly fragile yet indomitable body—all give brilliant testimony to our Maker’s artistic hand. When we understand how He spoke and each creature was formed, I can just imagine the grin on His face and the twinkle in His eye when he said, “, . . . and now, take form, my own little hummingbird.”
What a mighty God we serve,
who takes time to perfect
the form of the beautiful
yet powerful hummingbird.
Obviously God had a tiny bird in mind, and yet a tiny bird with such incredible abilities and habits. A hummingbird weighs as little as 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. Look at those wings which beat faster than any person could actually count. Notice how one moment, it may hover almost in your face, yet in the very next instant, disappear way up into the largest tree in the yard. Also, when you look at its beak extended for consuming the nectar of life it must have almost constantly to live. Hummingbirds are faster, smaller, able to change directions, able to eat more, able to fly further—definitely one of a kind among the birds of the air.
It would take quite a team of engineers to design and develop a production process to manufacture such a creature as the hummingbird. Obviously only our great God could work such a creative miracle. The wings have to be light and oh, so strong. The beak has to be strong and long—able to reach into flowers and into feeders to siphon up the nectar of life. They can do that 13 times per second. Those same wings have to be so strong to carry the hummingbird thousands of miles as they migrate from place to place. Some travel over 2000 miles twice a year. And proportionally, the hummingbird has a giant brain—has to have such a complex brain to perform all of the intricate function required for such a life. Studies have revealed hummingbirds can not only remember their migratory routes from year to year, but even recall every flower they have visited, and even recognize certain people.
Next time a hummingbird buzzes right up into your face
just realize his brain is
about twice the size of
yours in proportion to your own—
he is just sizing you up!
No predator can fly so fast as the hummingbird. Just watch a pair of hummingbirds race to and from a feeder, and your own mind will be spinning. This allows the hummingbird the ability to eat bugs and drink nectar, which, in turn, builds up their strength for the complexities of the tasks they perform each day. Hummingbirds were definitely never designed for being caught.
About the length of a finger, hummingbirds possess such strength as would make a bear proud. Using their tiny wings, they travel enormous distances to keep themselves in warm climates. Throughout their day they are constantly flying, seeking nourishment to keep their enormously needy heart pumping and providing energy. A hummingbird’s heart beats 225 times a minute at rest, but more than 1200 times a minute in flight. They have been clocked at 30 miles per hour in flight. They do rest, however, by going into torpor, or into a very deep sleep.
The female lays two eggs
in a tiny nest. Once hatched, the hummingbirds
leave the nest in a
mere three weeks.
Imagine this tiny mother
adding to her constant
hunting and feeding,
gathering enough for
her two nestlings.
Above all, I think I admire most about the hummingbird, their uniqueness in the ordering of God’s world. They are incredibly tiny. And yet, they are amazingly active and strong. They go their own way, living and feeding and thriving alone. They eat more continuously than almost any other creature. In creating the hummingbird, God has demonstrated His attention to detail, to His delight in beauty, to His determination to provide His creatures with all they need to thrive. Although among the tiniest of beasts, hummingbirds are among the mightiest in revealing God’s loving care and His attentiveness in the process of creation.
As Jesus says, God’s care for His creatures is a powerful example of His care for us. He definitely cares for the hummingbird and gives plentiful provision for its care. He cares for us and provides for our own care. We must trust Him and praise Him and serve Him. After all, when it comes to life: IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS. Ask the next hummingbird you can catch!
Psalm 8:1 ESV
“Oh, Lord, our Lord
how majestic is your name
throughout the earth!”
