I was about to open the gate from our backyard to our front yard when I spotted it.  A lovely Rufous Hummingbird was feeding just a few feet away from me.  Seeing Hummingbirds around our place isn’t unusual at all.  I have various flowers in beds all around our property, and some are particularly attractive to the colorful birds: New York Asters, Russian Sage, Cardinal Flower and Purple Bee Balm, just to name a few. 

But at this time of year, there aren’t many blooms available.  However, in the front yard immediately beside the gate, the red trumpets of a Pineapple Sage linger.  And that’s where I saw the hummingbird, hovering a few feet away, drinking deep from the Sage’s nectar.  It darted away, only to return and drink again.  Zipped away.  Zipped back.

What magnificent creations of our God these fascinating birds are!

All of the Hummingbird species live in the Americas, with most in the tropical Central and South America.  There are approximately 350 variations of Hummingbirds in the world, which makes them the second largest family of birds, while also averaging the smallest size in the bird kingdom.  (In fact, they are the smallest animals in the world with a backbone.)  Most of the birds are 3-5 inches long and weigh only a few grams.  Hummingbird eggs are about the size of peas, and the newly hatched offspring are no bigger than a penny.

The birds earn their name from the soft humming sound their wings produce while flying.  Hummingbirds in flight average 20-30 miles per hour, but can reach as high as 60.  Their wings beat between 50 and 200 flaps per second depending on the direction of flight, the purpose of their flight, and the surrounding air conditions.  The rapidity of their wing beats allows the birds to fly in all directions – forward, backward, sideways and even upside down!  And, of course, they are the only bird which can hover.  (Again, due to their rapid wingbeats.  Somewhat like treading water, only in the air!)  They are the ultimate aerial artists, demonstrating astounding agility in flight.

But God made them this way because their primarily source of sustenance is the nectar they extract from flowers through their long bills.  They don’t suck up the nectar; they lap it up with their fringed, forked tongues … tongues that lick 10-15 times per second when feeding.

“Hummers” must consume approximately one-half of their weight in sugar daily, and the average Hummingbird feeds 5-8 times per hour.  They can eat up to 3 times their own weight in food every single day.   In addition to nectar, these birds consume pollen as well as small flying insects and spiders, and may also sip tree sap or juice from broken fruits.  The birds digest natural sucrose—the sugar found in floral nectar—in 20 minutes with 97 percent efficiency for converting the sugar into energy.

Which the little dynamos desperately need!  An average Hummingbird’s heart rate while perched is 225 beats per minute, but it climbs to more than 1,200 beats per minute in the air.  (We humans average only 60-100 beats per minute when not active.)  While resting, a Hummingbird averages 250 breaths per minute!  When flying, that number also increases.

However, Hummingbirds are one of the few types of birds that are able to transition into a brief torpor when needed, such as during a cool night.  Torpor is a very deep, sleep-like state in which metabolic functions are slowed to a minimum (1/15 of their normal rate) and a very low body temperature is maintained.

Hummingbirds are one of God’s key pollinators.  As the birds sustain their own lives by going flower to flower, they also sustain the flower species by enabling reproduction.  Interestingly, hummers can’t smell, but have keen eyesight and are attracted to brightly colored flowers, especially those in shades of red, orange, and bright pink.  The birds instinctually recognize that their sustenance is found in the sweetness of nectar, so they are always seeking sweetness.

While this is all extremely interesting, (or at least I find it so), how does this encourage you and me in our walk to heaven?

In a number of places, the Bible actually describes God’s Word as sweet.  Both the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:1-4) and the Apostle John (Revelation 10:8-11) are told by the Lord to eat scrolls with God’s messages on them, and then relay those messages to God’s people.  The scrolls tasted sweet!

The psalm writer was moved by the Holy Spirit to describe the Scriptures this way: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).  David used the same description regarding the words of the Lord in Psalm 19: “They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).

Solomon wrote this: “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24).  His wise phrase is appropriate for both the words one person speaks to another, as well as the words God shares with us.  But especially the words that God shares!  Passages that show us God’s grace and love and forgiveness are indeed “sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (and heart!).

Why does God describe his words as “sweet?”  Because most people crave sweet things, and the Lord wants to impress upon us that it is proper for us to crave his truths!  The parts that address our sinfulness aren’t so attractive, (though they are necessary), but the Gospel message of God’s love and mercy sure “tastes” wonderful!

And that Scriptural “sweetness” provides spiritual energy too.  Joy, peace, and certain hope.  Confidence and security.  Motivation to live for God and love one another.  A purpose for now and an eternal destination for later. 

So seek the sweetness of God’s Word, and let it fuel your spiritual metabolism.