 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionWednesday, March 25, 2009  Downy Woodpecker  Listen to us share this message on your audio player."Learning From Birds" "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you" (Job 12:7). The other day we were on our trail walk and I heard the distinctive sound of a woodpecker high up in a tree. I looked up and barely spotted the hardworking bird since it was on the top branch of the tall tree. I tried to take a photo but just don't have the capability with my camera. The pecking sound of a woodpecker is my favorite bird sound. I'm not any good at recognizing bird calls, but I sure recognize the pecking sound of a woodpecker! They are working as the Creator designed. I can generally go outside on any clear day in this season and almost always hear the pecking sound of the woodpecker. I walked outside early this clear, but chilly morning and sure enough I heard the distinctive sound up in the tree line across from our home. Listen The woodpecker's strong, pointed beak acts as both a chisel and a crowbar to remove bark and find hiding insects. It has a very long tongue, up to four inches in some species - with a glue-like substance on the tip for catching insects. For support, woodpeckers' feet have two toes forward and two backward (except in a species aptly called the three-toed woodpecker), providing a solid base for holding onto the tree. Woodpeckers also have stiff tail feathers that, working with their feet, form something of a tripod. Job wrote: "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you." Of course animals and birds have a language foreign to human interpretation but we still learn much from them. Scores of books and documentaries over the centuries have been written about birds, their habits and habitats along with their many contributions to nature. Just as Job wrote, there are many lessons we can learn from birds and specifically today we consider a lesson from the woodpecker. As I think about the woodpecker I hear him telling me that perseverance pays off. Woodpeckers can be very persistent and are not easily driven from their territories or selected pecking sites. They peck, peck, peck until they gain access to the grub or ant and then fill up with a good meaty lunch. The underlying Greek word for perseverance (proskarteresis) describes a steadfast single-minded fidelity to a certain course of action. It is a trait in decline these days and yet perseverance brings great reward, but usually not right away. Perseverance means to continue to do something with intense effort with the possible implication of doing so despite inherent difficulties. It pictures devotion of one's self to the task, keeping on it, persisting in it, and being earnest toward it. Albert Einstein once said, "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." As we look out from our home office window and watch woodpeckers at the birdfeeder or observe them on our walks we proclaim with the Psalmist, "How many are your works, O Lord in wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures" (104:24). Today we make a renewed commitment to God using the words of the Psalmist, "I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the LORD" (Psalm 104:3,34). Won't you join us today? Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, help us to rid ourselves of habits and attitudes that bring a complaining, ungrateful or begrudging spirit. Renew us with a persistent spirit of joyful praise, contentment, and gratitude for as long as we live. We rejoice in your goodness toward us and in Your steadfast love that never ceases. Amen. Here's an informative page about woodpeckers, along with some outstanding photos. Here's the woodpecker sound I enjoy! More info about woodpeckers. Note: Normally the lead photo in this series is either taken by me or a friend. However I found this very active woodpecker photo on the web and think it's neat how it captures the motion. Here's a larger version from Don Chernoff's gallery.  Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Click on the link to open and play. In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song. "This Is My Father's World" Video Fernando Ortega |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 01/20/09  Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks! See here for details. (2009 YTD financial offerings through 3/24/09: $2,795.00) SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed.Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If these messages no longer meet your needs (providing encouragement) you can remove your address by merely use the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who may not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass these messages on! "A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message! "A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (Note: This material is satire!) "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!) "Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. We are distributing this CD without charge in our ministry. All of these songs are also available for download on the site. If any reader in this series would like a CD merely write us and request one.  Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD!Personal Mission Statement "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."  How to become a child of God Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. © Copyright 2009 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us |
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