Michelle Smith

This morning, I had the pleasure of watching a Ruby-throated hummingbird rest for a bit on my bird feeder. Usually, the hummers visiting my yard are in constant motion as they skillfully flit from blossom to blossom seeking nectar or small insects. I am often unaware of these tiny birds’ presence until one zips past me and the soft hum of blurred wings (beating about 50 times per second) captures my attention.

Each spring, I await the arrival of these bright green beauties and enjoy their delightful activity all summer long. To my disappointment, the recent cooler temperatures and decreasing daylight hours are tell-tale signs that their fall migration season has begun. I find it astonishing that these tiny birds – the average male weighs 0.1 ounce – will each embark on a solo migration flight of 3,000 miles or more. Their journey can last up to four weeks and includes a non-stop flight of approximately 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers have discovered that juvenile birds flying solo will find their way to the preferred wintering areas thousands of miles away without any previous experience. What an incredible feat! How does such a diminutive bird survive such a strenuous and dangerous flight?

“Consider the birds of the air … they neither sow nor reap, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (Matthew 6:26)

What is within these tiny creatures that compels them to take this arduous journey each spring and fall?

“And God said … let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” (Genesis1:20)

I believe that only God could have created such a complex design and executed such a mystifying plan. It is He who sets their internal time clock and the dependable compass system within these fascinating birds. But how do these interesting bits of information apply to me? To you? Perhaps there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from this tiny creature.

Long ago, King Solomon declared that “God has placed eternity in the human heart.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Humankind is created in God’s image, by Him and for Him. He has placed a sense of divine purpose and of the eternal within our hearts – a yearning and a longing to find our place of spiritual rest in Him.

I believe that each one of us is on a divinely designed spiritual journey – each filled with a deep desire and yearning for oneness with God. I’ve heard it put in these terms, “There is a void within each human heart that only God can fill.”

St. Augustine explained it in this way, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”

Over the 40 years that I have been in one form or another of ministry, I have heard countless stories from men and women, young and old, and from all walks of life and backgrounds. Their stories all had the common theme of trying to fill the deep longing of their hearts with everything that the world has to offer – food, sex, alcohol, drugs, money, possessions, power, prestige, people – only to discover that these things were temporary fixes. They failed to truly satisfy the deep yearning and restlessness of their heart.

Psalm 42:1-2 describes this internal longing well.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

It is easy to misinterpret the thirst and hunger of our spirit and instead of recognizing it as a spiritual longing, we exhaust ourselves by indulging in all sorts of counterfeits. May I suggest that the next time you recognize an underlying restlessness within that you “try” God. “Try” as in slow down. Focus. Talk to Him. Open your heart to Him. He is there. He hears. He cares. Share the longings of your heart. Tell Him your frustrations. Your disappointments. Let down your walls. Get real with Him. Ask Him to forgive you for your sins. We have all sinned. We all need His forgiveness. Open a Bible. Read the Gospel of John. Learn about Jesus and what He really said and did. Perhaps it is time to allow your internal compass to lead you home.

Michelle Smith serves alongside her husband, Gary, as part of the leadership team of New Life Christian Fellowship. She founded Purely Women Ministries with the purpose of helping women of all ages discover their true identity as women of God. She can be reached at michelle@newlifealpena.org.