Story of the Resurrected Bird

The other day, a little bird flew full speed into a window at my house. After impact, the bird was disillusioned and so immediately slammed into the window again. Then it fell to the ground dead. My sister called me to the window to show me what happened. She wanted to see if we could help the bird. However, when I looked out the window, I saw a tiny, lifeless bird lying on its back with its feet up. The bird was stiff and dead. We kept watching it to see if it might move or breathe, but it remained stiff and dead. I told my sister it was too late and the bird was dead - there was nothing we could do.

I went back to my room. A while later, my sister burst into my room and declared that the bird is alive. She told me that she started to pray for it. While she was praying the little bird began to breathe. She prayed more. Then the little bird got onto its feet, started hopping, and flew away.

I've been sharing this story, because I think it speaks about God's resurrecting power in a seemingly small, yet miraculous way. No matter how hopeless a situation seems, God can resurrect anything. The bird was dead and so tiny that it is a miracle it flew away alive. Abraham and Sarah were past child bearing age. Yet, God waited until all hope was lost in human efforts to bring his promise of a son to pass. Sometimes, God does the same thing in our lives (okay, probably often). Sometimes He waits until all visual or physical hope is gone - when there is no longer any chance for human strength or resources to bring the promise to pass. The person you've been praying for seems so lost and hopeless - so far away from God; the marriage you are praying for seems irreparable; His promise to you seems like it will never happen. Yet, after all hope is gone and you have given up that God will ever come through, God can bring to life what has even died. He can restore what has been destroyed past recognition. I think He does this because He wants to wait until our trust is only in God and not in our own sight, strength, or resources. Maybe He waits until we have died to the desire and are at peace and contentment with having God alone. He does this to perfect this verse in our lives:

"for we walk by faith, not by sight." - 2 Cor. 5:7

Before this miracle happened, however, I think God was also showing me that some things do need to stay dead in our lives. It could be a person, a relationship, or a plan that he has taken away or changed. But if He has done this, then He has a new thing in mind and a plan at work.When God calls us to die to something by letting it go, it is one of the greatest tests of faith. We let the thing or person go into God's hands. I have found this to be one of the most difficult things to do in life. But, I am comforted and have confidence remembering that God can resurrect anything - even what is dead and past hope. What God chooses to resurrect in our lives is His decision and He knows best. So when you come to that place or situation where you realize, "there is nothing I can do about this" - then you can just let it go and trust with prayer, because God always acts in perfect faithfulness.

Some of the most powerful verses in the Bible

These are definitely some of the most powerful verses in the Bible to me. No matter what you are going through, if you belong to Christ, you can say and believe these verses with confidence.

"For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth; 
 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God, 
 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!" (19:25-27)

Nothing compares to this and nothing is worth trading it for.  This definitely makes me excited and encouraged. Even through all the hard choices and denials, the journey of following Jesus is so worth it - for this life and for the next.