Jehovah’s Creation: What Could We Learn from the “NORTHERN CARDINAL”?

[Beggar for the Spirit]

 

My most favorite bird is the “Northern Cardinal”. And there are several valuable lessons we can learn from this beautiful creation of our Father!

 

BE CAREFUL WHO YOU FIGHT!

Cardinals are known to be territorial birds. Similarly, we as Christians are also territorial spiritually, we fight against the wicked spirits, we protect our brothers and sisters, our congregations, and our young ones, as “...the Devil’s goal is to devour as many of Jehovah’s servants as he can...”(w15 5/15)  

Just like how the Northern Cardinal is territorial, us being spiritually territorial, is in imitation of Jehovah who defends with zeal, “... those who belong to him”.   

 

But Cardinals need to be very careful who he fights! Because sometimes when the cardinal is near a window and happens to see his own reflection, guess what the cardinal does? He will go to challenge and fight HIMSELF!  That is why some people have seen cardinals aggressively pecking and attacking their windows! 

 

So an awesome lesson we can learn from the cardinal is.....BE CAREFUL WHO YOU FIGHT!

It takes all of our spiritual strength to fight against the “wicked spirit forces”, but for some of us, like the cardinal at the window, we spend some of our energies and emotions fighting OURSELF!  

 

For example, sometimes we may attack ourself by being very critical of our own service to Jehovah or we may harshly judge our own value!  Isn’t that just like the cardinal fighting with his reflection in the window? All that does to the cardinal is tire himself out and can cause him to possibly injure himself. So remember that you are not the enemy! Don’t attack yourself!  Jehovah views you as His good loyal “friend” and He has a very positive and loving view of you! So we must use our energies to fight against the real enemies. And we must daily ask Jehovah to help us have His accurate view of ourselves, so that eventually we can come to “love ourselves” in a balanced, healthy way. ❤️

 

 

MOLTING THE OLD PERSONALITY

Many other kinds of Songbirds generally lose and regrow a few feathers at a time, so “molt” is hardly noticeable. “Molting” meaning the shedding of old feathers to make way for new feathers. These beautiful and colorful cardinals can lose all their head feathers at one time and look terrible!   Not all cardinals do this, but a significant number do. But when they “put on the new” feathers, they look regal once again! 👑

Similarly, a significant number of Jehovah’s people are “Molting” like the cardinals, shedding off, “...the old personality with its practices” and “...clothe yourselves with the new personality, which through accurate knowledge is being made new according to the image of the One who created it”.  But doing this is not simple or easy or happens naturally like it does for the cardinals. And “stripping off old personality traits cannot be done in one’s own strength.”(w17 August)  But if we strip off the “old” with Jehovah’s help, then we can be clothed with the “new” personality which is in the image of the ”regal” One who created it!  In the picture below, which cardinal is the “regal” one? The 1 who lost it’s feathers and has no new feathers? Or the 1 who has completed the “molting” process and is clothed with new feathers? Which 1 would you want to be? 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Beggar for the Spirit

[Dustparticle]

What we can learn from this? 

 

[dove]

Birds have rhythm?  😀

Edited April 10, 2021 by Dove

[daydream]

Yes some birds have a near perfect sense of rhythm. Pity I was born with two left feet. 🙃

https://www.audubon.org/news/10-outrageous-ways-birds-dance-impress-their-mates

 

At around three years old, young Laysan Albatross return to their birthplace to start learning the ways of courtship. Deep in their bones they know the dance moves needed to woo a mate, but they haven’t yet developed their talent. At first, young birds gather in small groups to practice. As the years go on, those groups grow smaller, until finally the confident birds are ready for their big finale: a partnered dance. A new Laysan Albatross pair works hard to perfect their dance, combining stock moves like the “sky snap,” “rapid bill clapper,” and “bob strut” into a sequence unique to that couple

Welcome to the wonderful world of nature where creation laud the Living God. 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Mclove

[daydream]

 

Quote

If you’re looking for elegance in the bird world, you can’t do much better than Western or Clark's Grebes. In both closely related species, courtship begins with one bird mirroring the other’s movements, twisting and bowing their long necks behind them. And then, when the moment is right, they take the leap: Like ballerinas wearing pointe shoes, they rise fully out of the water, running side by side on the water’s surface with their wings stretched behind them. Their dance is both a feat of strength and a transcendent spectacle

 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Mclove

[New World Explorer]

15 hours ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

BE CAREFUL WHO YOU FIGHT!

Cardinals are known to be territorial birds. Similarly, we as Christians are also territorial spiritually, we fight against the wicked spirits, we protect our brothers and sisters, our congregations, and our young ones, as “...the Devil’s goal is to devour as many of Jehovah’s servants as he can...”(w15 5/15)  

Just like how the Northern Cardinal is territorial, us being spiritually territorial, is in imitation of Jehovah who defends with zeal, “... those who belong to him”.   

 

But Cardinals need to be very careful who he fights! Because sometimes when the cardinal is near a window and happens to see his own reflection, guess what the cardinal does? He will go to challenge and fight HIMSELF!  That is why some people have seen cardinals aggressively pecking and attacking their windows! 

 

So an awesome lesson we can learn from the cardinal is.....BE CAREFUL WHO YOU FIGHT!

It takes all of our spiritual strength to fight against the “wicked spirit forces”, but for some of us, like the cardinal at the window, we spend some of our energies and emotions fighting OURSELF!  

 

For example, sometimes we may attack ourself by being very critical of our own service to Jehovah or we may harshly judge our own value!  Isn’t that just like the cardinal fighting with his reflection in the window? All that does to the cardinal is tire himself out and can cause him to possibly injure himself. So remember that you are not the enemy! Don’t attack yourself!  Jehovah views you as His good loyal “friend” and He has a very positive and loving view of you! So we must use our energies to fight against the real enemies. And we must daily ask Jehovah to help us have His accurate view of ourselves, so that eventually we can come to “love ourselves” in a balanced, healthy way.

This is brilliant! Can I use this in my talks? ....Simply amazing point! 

[EccentricM]

For some reason I thought this was going to be a post about a leader of the Russian Orthodox church. 😄  (I somehow missed the heading "Jehovah’s Creation").

Edited April 11, 2021 by EccentricM

[Vinnie]

Yes birds are beautiful social creations. Even wild ones. 

 

 https://youtu.be/TCRwQikQbxs