Hummingbird

"Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD.” - Jeremiah 8:7

As I was doing some reading about the Ten Commandments a couple of weeks ago, this verse came up. It is about the Old Testament Law (“requirements”) and what we should inherently know. Should is the operative word.

You see it in creation, most noticeable this time of year. As I write this, most of the songbirds have left Indiana county, hummingbirds are absent, and I haven’t seen a robin in two weeks.

The Ruby Throated hummingbirds are interesting. They are tropical birds, so in our cool months they actually go back home, which is somewhere between southern Mexico and northern Panama. When they are with us, they are visitors, far, far away from their homes. But they are in the process of returning home now. The birds will start moving back north in late January, eventually straggling back into western Pennsylvania in early April.

When flying over land, they travel about 20 miles per day, but at some time on their travels, they have to fly over the Gulf of Mexico, making a 500 mile flight without stopping. And they do so in 20-22 hours.  Amazing! They know their appointed seasons, and observe the time of their migration. Inherent, a gift of God.

The law of the Lord, the ‘requirements,’ are things we should inherently know – yet we struggle with them. God through Jeremiah eventually states, “’This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD.” ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (vs. 31:33)

The hummingbird seems to have the advantage, inherently following God’s direction for their lives.  We, on the other hand, work hard to fill our hearts with things other than God’s requirements. Maybe that should be the challenge for us this Autumn. Or at least me as I continue to preach through the Ten Commandments.  Study the law, allow God’s word to steep in my heart, and then…work at living them out. And maybe the day will come where we will automatically live into our appointed seasons, times and requirements.

And counting on Jesus’ truth and grace to get me there. Trusting in him….is our appointed season….

Will you join me in living it out?