April 17, 2021: The Runaway Cardinal
“Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?” (Job 38:41, NIV).
Our family has a large lilac bush next to one of our windows. A few years ago, a Northern Cardinal couple decided to raise their young in this bush. After Mrs. Cardinal built her nest and incubated her eggs, the chicks hatched. We all enjoyed peeking into the nest and seeing the chicks, who most of the time were crying for food. Thankfully, both Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal were very faithful, taking turns feeding their babies. The chicks grew quickly before our eyes and cameras.
About one week later, my dad noticed the chicks were missing from their nest. We looked for them and were concerned when we only found one hopping on the ground, with no parents in sight. The chick wasn’t strong enough to fly, but it was probably hungry, looking for worms, thinking its parents were taking too long to feed it. My dad scooped the chick up and placed it back in the nest, but, in a few hours, the chick was gone again.
This verse reminds me of the runaway Cardinal chick and humanity. When we have needs, we cry out to God, and He answers us in His own time and way. How many times do we roam aimlessly, trying to supply our own needs when we think He is taking too long? Perhaps God asks us to stay where we are for our safety.
Lord, thank You for providing my needs. Help me to trust in Your timing and not leave Your protection. Amen.
Caleb Palmer is a member of the Centerville church in Ohio.
Join the Journey
To help you dig deeper into God’s Holy Word this year, we’re offering:
- Every Day—Read our Words of Life daily devotional book that features favorite Bible verses from members, pastors, students and leaders from across the Columbia Union. You can also read the devotionals on the Columbia Union app, and interact with the verses in our instagram stories.
- Every Week—Delivered straight to your email, read our e-newsletter by subscribing to Visitor News Bulletin at columbiaunionvisitor.com/vnb. Keep up with the latest Year of the Bible events, devotionals, videos and more.
- Every Month—This calendar, themed “Words of Life,” coincides with the devotional book and videos. It features a biblical topic and verse each month, with additional passages for further exploration, study and ideas on how to apply the concepts in your daily life.