Captured In God’s Love

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”– Psalm 46:10

Today I went to a local nature center for their weekly bird banding event.

I watched as the outdoor volunteers set up fine mesh black nets with strings finer than thread. They pulled them taut between posts and untangled knots in preparation. Indoors, banders sipped coffee and sat around several tables pushed together. The tabletop was cluttered with bird books, paper files in three-ring binders, magnifying glasses, tiny measuring sticks, and bird bands on a wire stand. Friendly chatter dominated as we waited for the birds to be brought in from outside.

Our waiting paid off. The first bird brought to the group was a chickadee in a mesh bag. Dennis, one of the banders, gently closed his fingers around the bird, and slowly brought it out. The chickadee was not happy to be captured and closed its claw on his finger and tried to bite his hand. Soon it calmed down as he measured its wing, looked at its tail feathers, eyes, and other markings to determine age and sex. Dennis opened his metal pliers with a tiny numbered metal band and gently slipped it on its leg. Soon, after thorough identification and documentation, the chickadee was released back into the outdoors.

It was a fascinating and scientific process. And, it reminded me of God in our lives: we are captured by God’s love. We are shown grace, mercy, and gentleness, as He lovingly looks us over and cleans us up with His goodness. He inspects our hearts and minds, He knows us in and out. We are unique and precious in His sight, no matter how much we fight Him. As we lay our fears aside, be still, and rest in His presence, He marks our hearts with His Holy Spirit, through the death and resurrection of His Son. His signature is ours. We are “created in His image”. And finally, we are blessed, loved, and released. To do our thing in the world.

So today, I invite you to be captured by God’s love. Rest in Him. Sense His presence. And enjoy the release, knowing you can find Him again and again. Our ID stays with Him forever.

Prayer- “God, your love has captured me. Help me to be still in your presence and listen to your voice. Thank you for making me your very own. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”