At 42 years old, I’ve found myself enjoying the birds that come to my bird feeder. Yep. It’s official. My husband and I are the couple that enjoys a cup of coffee on the porch swing while watching the birds come to the bird feeder.

We live out in the country, so we see so many different kinds of birds. We have tried a variety of bird food to see which one they enjoy the most. Wild bird seed, regular bird seed…we’ve tried them all. Just recently, my husband found one we hadn’t tried yet. Well, it’s been weeks since we set it out, and I’ve only seen one blue jay casually take a sniff and we haven’t seen any since (hahaha).

It’s been a running joke in our family, and I’ve poked fun at my husband for finding this “amazing” bird seed that all the birds seem to want. Obviously, there are no takers! Not one!

I even made a funny video of the bird feeder, full of food, with no birds, and paired it with a song I found about “being lonely.” There are no birds, and the feeder has been empty.

It made me think…if we aren’t receiving spiritual food from the Lord, we aren’t being fed properly, and (eventually) we will find food elsewhere—even if that food isn’t good for us. 

The birds come to feeders because they’re looking for higher quality, excellent food. If they don’t find anything good in a feeder (like ours right now), then they find food in other places. If it’s winter and food is scarce, then maybe a bird will pick at someone’s leftover lunch that was left outside. Perhaps they’ll even eat garbage or dead animal if they’re desperate. 

You see, if we aren’t being fed the good stuff from the Lord, then we will find things to be “fed” with that are of the world.

The Lord may look down upon us and think, “My Children, I have spiritual food for you. Don’t partake of the world.” He’s given us the scriptures. He’s listening to our prayers. He anointed the elders to speak to us, and He has paved the way for us to follow Him. Are we listening? 

Who is “feeding” our minds, and our souls? Are we finding spiritual food elsewhere? Are we trying to find meaning in worldly things? Or, are we filling ourselves with God’s Word?

“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15)

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.