Consider the Birds

 

Deep Inner Peace

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young–
a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God,
Psalm 84:3

Interesting that in this verse God uses sparrows and swallows which are considered the most restless of birds.  He referred to them as ‘fluttering’ and ‘darting’ in Proverbs 26:2.

Yet these most restless birds find a place of rest for themselves and their young near the altar of God. We should follow their example with our young, giving them to God.  We need to stay close to Him, allowing God to work through us to train them in the way they should go; so they will be like these birds that were free to go anywhere, but chose to stay near the altar.

David must have been watching the birds in the sanctuary of God and it stirred up in him the desire to dwell that near to God and find rest for himself and his children.  Jesus must have been watching the birds when He used them as teaching aides in Matthew 6:26 and Matthew 23:37

God obviously values birds as there are numerous references to them in Scripture:

He implies that the birds have a better perspective, are more observant, and are wiser than most things: Job 28:21Proverbs 1:17Job 35:11

God acknowledged that birds are great parents as He mentions wanting to gather us under His wings as a hen gathers her chicks: Matthew 23:37

He even tells us to consider the birds and to ask the birds to teach us: Matthew 6:26Job 12:7

Western Gull Family

My nephew and his wife work to rescue birds with The International Bird Rescue Center in San Pedro, CA.  So I asked them for some info on birds.  They pointed me to a documentary called “Life of Birds”  Watch and study more about these creatures that God values.  You might learn something about parenting.

But the most important thing we can learn from the birds is that as we seek to parent in the midst of the storms of our busy lives, we should stop the ‘fluttering’ and ‘darting’ and lay our children at the altar of God – keeping ourselves and them near to Him,  and finding peace and protection there. ‘The sparrows and swallows could not have chosen a better place to find rest, or a safer place to have their young and raise their family. The dwelling place of God should be a place of safety where we can raise our children.’ ( Matthew McDonald )

Now for something fun.  One thing I learned in this study is that parents may feed the newborns every 10 minutes – whew – we think every 2 to 3 hours is tough! Here’s a video of footage my son Jeremiah captured a few years ago observing a robin feeding her young. Watch till the end and see what devoted parents they are. 😉

http://youtu.be/uS6cA0lxBw4

 

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Day Seven – God Rested

Day Seven
(click for a printable pdf)

Day Seven – God Rested

On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work.
Genesis 2:2

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat;for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Psalm 127:2

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
Proverbs 3:24

Bible:

Say:  “When God had finished making everything, He rested. The Bible says, “On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work.”  God took a rest from His work.  He set an example for us and He planned for us to rest also.  God says it is not good to work from early morning until late at night; He wants to give us rest (Psalm 127:2).  God will keep us safe while we lie down and sleep peacefully (Psalm 4:8).  Since we are made by Him, we can trust God to take care of us, His creation, all day as we work or play and all night as we sleep.”

Activities:

Rest 🙂

Take all the pdf pictures or the pictures you made for each day and make into a Creation book .  OR cut the circles out, cover in plastic and use as a teaching aid to review what God made and in what order.

Song: Sing the following words to God Made the Whole World by His Hands

God made the whole world in six days
He made the whole wide world in six days
God saw all He had made and said ‘It is good’
Then the next day He took a rest

Download I will Lie down and Sleep in Peace by Steve Green.  It’s a good lullaby and will help in memorizing Psalm 4:8.

Note:

Remember we are laying a foundational belief as we teach our children that God made everything.  If a person does not believe that he was made by God, he then does not have to feel accountable to Him for his actions.

We want our children to realize they God made us; He made us with a purpose; we can trust Him to keep His promises; and He gives us help, peace, and hope when we yield to Him. Meditate on the following verses today and always look for ways to get the thoughts across to your children:

Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 146:6 He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He is the one who keeps every promise forever,
Jeremiah 29:11 I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.

Answers in Genesis is a great resource for studying Creation.  Their mission is to equip Christians to defend the book of Genesis which is the most attacked book of the Bible.

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