Red-bellied Woodpecker
John Miller
12/16/21
- Windstream Mail
R E F L E C T I O N S Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith - 12/13/21 ______________________________________________________ "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." - Prov. 3:5 |
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I shot this image on a dreary dark day as the sun was about to set. It was one of those days when the weather conspires to drag your spirit down. But then, in a flash of color, this female red-bellied woodpecker landed and began to search for insects. Something caught her attention and she leaned backwards and stared into the woods for awhile as I photographed her. These birds, like all woodpeckers, use their tails for support almost like another leg. This enables them to lean without falling or peck into tree limbs with greater force. In other words, leaning with the support of their tails gives them quite an advantage. Scripture tells us we also need to lean, to lean on God for comfort and support, but not to lean on our own understanding. The reason is simple, our own understanding is limited and often flawed. Faith requires us to hold to the promises of God even if we don't see how what is happening to us at the moment can be for our ultimate good. But the promise of God is that all things will somehow work together for the good of those who are his. In times like this we are to trust in him and lean on his word, to acknowledge that our limited understanding must give place to his omniscience. Little children don't understand why they shouldn't play in the road or eat only candy. Submitting to the sovereignty of God is a lesson that is hard to learn but is necessary for own spiritual growth. It is trusting without seeing, obeying without understanding. But it is not a leap of faith in the dark. It is trusting a superior intellect. It is a child following a father whose love for him is beyond question. It is admitting our limitations. And that is hard to do if we think we are smarter than our father. - John
