Several weeks ago, I was sitting in my supervisor’s office, discussing some new clients and filling out paperwork. A loud thump suddenly ricocheted off the glass window outside. Sadly, we discovered two hummingbirds had hit the window. Unwilling to see their tragic end up close, I waited inside while my supervisor and co-worker went to pick them up.

Moments later, they returned: the hummingbirds were still living! We threw together some old t-shirts in small plastic buckets—a makeshift hospital—and placed the delicate creatures inside. After several minutes of recuperation, they returned to their home in the sky.

The story of the hummingbirds reminds me that hope is a necessary component for survival. If my co-workers hadn’t brought the hummingbirds inside and offered them the promise that life was still a possibility, would they have had the will to keep living?

For us, our default response for us is to grow hopeless. This broken planet offers sorrows of every kind. After being hit over and over with tribulations, how easy it would be to lay down and give up!

In Ephesians, Paul prays that the eyes of believers’ hearts would be opened so we might know the hope that awaits us: a life of heavenly glory with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us be reminded that, while the trials of this life may still knock us over, the hope we have in Jesus Christ will comfort us until he enables us to stretch our wings once again.

“Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)

Heavenly Father, sometimes this life knocks me off my feet. When I grow weary and hopeless, give me the comfort and strength that only you can give, to rise and press on until I’m face to face with you.

Throughout this Day: Confess any unbelief, doubt, or hopelessness you have been holding on to. Ask the Lord to enlighten the eyes of your heart, to help you see past any lies of the enemy that cloud your perspective. Surrender to the Holy Spirit and ask him to empower you today.



Tags: Daily Devotional Ephesians 1
Photo Credit: Jaka Škrlep on Unsplash