Lessons from the Hummingbird

“Blessed is the one who delights in the Lord and meditates on His word day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the water, whose fruit is in season, its leaves never wither, and he always prospers.” Psalm 1:2-3

 

Every morning, these little tiny creatures dart in and out among the flowers, around the bright red feeders, occasionally taking time to land on the silver rim and drink. Hummingbirds are the smallest of birds, most weighing less than two pennies, and their wings can beat up to fifty beats per second. My mother always loved hummingbirds, and I am following in her footsteps.

 

We had feeders in our yard in Maryland that attracted half a dozen or more little creatures dancing around the yard, dive-bombing each other in the air, hiding in the protection of the oak trees, and sometimes landing on the feeders for a quick drink. However, in Colorado, I could count on one hand the number of Hummers we saw over the past seven summers. In fact, we often only see one or two until this year. I don’t know what made the difference, but now we see them throughout the day, sometimes two or three at once. Each is differently colored, and some are no bigger than my pinkie finger.

 

I recently had a team pray over me, and one of them said that God sees me as a hummingbird. At first, I loved that description, because I adore these little creatures. But then he went on to say that I dart from activity to activity, rarely taking time to rest and drink in the time with the Lord.

 

Ouch. This hit hard.

 

In Psalm 1:2-3, it says, “Blessed is the one who delights in the Lord and meditates on His word day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the water, whose fruit is in season, its leaves never wither, and he always prospers.”

 

This is a good reminder to me that when I am watching those adorable little hummers flit around, it’s okay to be busy and get a lot of things done. But God delights in me when I land—taking time to delight in the Lord and meditate on His word.

 

Just as the hummingbird must land at the feeder for sustenance, so must I wait in the presence of God to be equipped for the work He has given me. The tree planted by the water doesn’t move frantically from place to place; it stays rooted, drawing deeply from the source that never runs dry.

 

Today, may I remember to land. To drink deeply in the Lord’s presence, knowing that all my darting and diving is made meaningful only when it flows from these moments of stillness with Him.

 

Prayer: Lord, help me to take the time to sit in Your presence and drink in Your living water. Teach me the balance of the rhythm of work and rest, of movement and stillness, that brings You glory. Amen.