O LORD, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24 NLT
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:9-13
The winter and early spring are good times to clean out nest-boxes for our backyard birds. The boxes are usually empty at that time, although as I’ve mentioned before – if it is really cold – birds have been known to huddle together inside to stay warm (see Refuge from the Storm). The winter cold renders any of the undesirable critters inside the box either harmless or dead. Once in a while I’ll find a cluster of yellow jackets balled up inside. They are quite sluggish at this time, and easy to remove.
After nuthatches had used one of our bird boxes the previous season, I found the above pictured egg left behind. For whatever reason, this egg never hatched, and falls into the category of being a “dud” – at least according to the goose in E. B. White’s book, Charlotte’s Web. I placed a dime in the box to give you a perspective of the size of a nuthatch egg. It sure looks like the adults build a comfy nest for their young.
Having lived in Africa, I’ve held the egg of the largest existing bird on the planet – an ostrich. These eggs are large enough to cover my whole hand, and many times larger than even a chicken egg. As Psalm 104 above states, God truly has fashioned a variety of life in His creation.
In the above Scripture in Luke, Jesus is talking about the importance of perseverance, along with contrasting God’s great love for us to the imperfect love we have for our children. He will not give us bad if we ask for good (a scorpion instead of an egg). I have been fortunate enough to experience His love in ways which amaze me – and by His grace, continue to experience that love.
If you are not sure how to begin a relationship with this Creator God of the universe, please see Got God?
May you have perseverance to follow after God today, and sense His glory in the outside world around you.
Hope you have a great day.