“But I will sing about your strength. I will rejoice in your love every morning. You have been my place of safety, the place I can run to when troubles come.” (Psalms 59:16, ERV)
dawn chorus Zeph 3…17www
Throughout this psalm, David describes in vivid detail the behavior of his enemies. He conveys his own feelings of dread with the desperation and despair that he sees in the lives of those who want to harm him. What a delight, then, in these final verses to read about God’s role in David’s life as refuge, a place of safety, and as a source of unfailing love. David had learned to turn negative circumstances into reminders of God’s faithful presence.
What situations in your life today might be transformed if you were to turn them into starting points for praising God?
“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’” (Steps to Christ,70)
Imagine beginning each morning that way. The birds start to sing, (The Dawn Chorus) and rather than hearing only a pleasant sound, we take it as a reminder from Jesus to begin the day with our Creator. Their song prompts us to pause, give thanks, confess our need of Him, and ask for His guidance. The Dawn Chorus becomes a gentle invitation to choose whom we will follow throughout the hours ahead.
Before the day’s responsibilities begin competing for our attention, we may always have an opportunity to speak with God. The birds’ first songs can serve as a reminder to offer Him our first thoughts, thank Him for another day, and ask Him to help us make choices that honor Him.
There is a paragraph that really speaks to us about how God’s love is made known to us.
Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator’s love. It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures. In the beautiful words of the psalmist:
“The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”(Psalms 145:15-16){SC 9.1}
The Dawn Chorus refers to the collective singing of wild birds that occurs just before and after sunrise, particularly during the spring and summer months. This phenomenon is most pronounced as male birds sing to attract mates and defend their territories. That “first hour” in the morning is an amazing blessing to experience. It is truly “music to the ears.”
During the Covid 19 outbreak, and the lockdown the birds did not take a break from their beautiful Dawn Chorus,we were not once allowed to forget the birds who have been very vocal with their dawn choruses. No matter how bad the days got. They just kept doing what they were created to do. For one thing, there were no cars or traffic drown them out. No matter how crazy the world got back then, they continued to sing with one voice. And we all received the blessings of their song.
The cross is the ultimate and most powerful symbol of love, sacrifice, suffering, redemption, and ultimately, hope. Yet when we consider Christ upon the cross, the symbol becomes something far more personal. More meaningful. An expression of divine love willingly given for the sake of humanity. The cross reminds us that life is not without its burdens, that suffering and sacrifice are woven into the human experience, and that even in our darkest hours there can be meaning and the promise of renewal. Christ on the cross embodies the extraordinary truth that love can endure suffering, that forgiveness can overcome bitterness, and that death itself does not have the final word. In this sense, the cross is not simply an emblem of what was lost, but a declaration of what can be gained through faith, humility, and love.
In The Dawn Chorus, that remarkable gathering of birds whose voices greet the world before most of us have awakened, the cross is a powerful symbol of sacrifice, suffering, redemption, and ultimately, hope. Yet when we consider Christ upon the cross, the symbol becomes something far more personal and profound: an expression of divine love willingly given for the sake of humanity. The cross reminds us that life is not without its burdens, that suffering and sacrifice are woven into the human experience, and that even in our darkest hours there can be meaning and the promise of renewal. Christ on the cross embodies the extraordinary truth that love can endure suffering, that forgiveness can overcome bitterness, and that death itself does not have the final word. (1 Thes 4:13-18). In this sense, the cross is not simply an emblem of what was lost, but a declaration of what can be gained through faith, humility, and love.
The Dawn Chorus. Their song is a gift offered freely. A special gift that can only be fully appreciated by those who rise early enough, become still enough, and pay attention. Like the message of the cross, the dawn chorus invites us to look beyond ourselves and recognize the blessings that are already present in the world. Both The Dawn Chorus and The cross speak of this renewal. This hope. Of the possibility of beginning again. This is why we can say “nature and revelation alike testify to us of God’s love. Christ’s sacrifice calls us to awaken spiritually, while the birdsong calls us to awaken to the beauty of creation.
The Dawn Chorus is more than a beautiful morning performance. It is an invitation for each of us to lift our own voices and sing our own song throughout the day. Just as the birds greet the rising sun with their individual melodies, we are invited to share our gifts, express our gratitude, offer encouragement, and bring kindness into the lives of those we encounter. Psalm 96:1 reminds us
“Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.”
Each new day offers us a fresh opportunity to make our lives a song of praise—not necessarily through music, but through our words, actions, compassion, and faith. The birds have their song, and God invites each of us to discover and share ours.
Perhaps the most beautiful connection to the Dawn Chorus is found in Zephaniah 3:17, which tells us that God Himself rejoices over us with singing. Imagine that! Before we have sung our first note of the day, before we have accomplished anything or offered anything to anyone, God is already delighting in us with joy. The birds sing their morning songs in praise of the Creator, but Zephaniah reminds us that the Creator also sings over His people. The Dawn Chorus, then, becomes a gentle reminder that we are not merely invited to sing to God; we are first loved, cherished, and celebrated by Him. Perhaps the greatest blessing of waking to the dawn chorus is knowing that our own song begins in response to the song of God’s everlasting love.
Our own song, then, begins in response to the song of God’s everlasting love. This is beautifully reflected in Revelation 14:6, where John sees an angel flying in midheaven, proclaiming “the everlasting gospel” to every nation, tongue, tribe, language, and people. The gospel is, at its heart, the good news of God’s unchanging love, His grace, and His desire to restore us to Himself.
Just as the dawn chorus rises each morning as a joyful response to the gift of a new day, a new beginning, so too, our lives become a song as we respond to the everlasting gospel. We do not sing in order to earn God’s love; we sing because we have already received it. And as we carry that good news into the world through our words, our actions, and the way we love others, we become part of that great chorus proclaiming God’s goodness. The everlasting gospel is God’s song of love to humanity, and our lives are invited to become its echo.
Those fortunate enough to hear the dawn chorus are rewarded not merely with music, but with a sense of wonder, gratitude, and connection to something greater than themselves. Perhaps it is one of life’s greatest lessons, that blessings, are already being offered. We just need to awaken early enough. In body, mind, and spirit, to receive them. Their song is a gift offered freely, but one that can only be fully appreciated by those who rise early enough, become still enough, to receive it as intended. Like the message of the cross, the dawn chorus invites us to look beyond ourselves and recognize the blessings that are already present in the world. Both speak of renewal, hope, and the possibility of beginning again. With each new dawn Chorus, Jesus is simply saying to us
“this time, begin again with me.”
In the dawn Chorus, we are invited to sing our song too. Christ’s sacrifice calls us to awaken spiritually, to forgiveness, second chance, and transformation. The birdsong invites us, reminds us to awaken to the beauty of creation and the prospects of second chance, of one step better, and of complete transformation. (2 Cor 5:17)
“So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way. Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” (Rom 12:1-2, ERV)
Every dawn, every new chorus of the birds is like an invitation to begin again with Jesus We cannot know everything the day will bring. There may be joyful moments, unexpected difficulties, temptations, opportunities to help someone, or conversations that require patience and wisdom. I may encounter something that tests my faith or brings an old weakness to the surface. But before any of those things happen, I can make a choice:
“Today, I want to walk with You, Jesus.”
It is in this kind of way that “nature and revelation alike can testify to us of God’s love.” The Dawn Chorus. That’s where it starts for me. Lying awake in the early morning hours. A light spring rain coming down. And the “choir” begins their Heavenly melody unto God, while the rest of His creation listens in. Slowly waking to the chorus, and then I am being filled with my very own song. The Dawn Chorus has done it’s work of testifying to me of “one step better” to a place where there is comfort. Trust. Security. Wholeness.
We must remember that telling Jesus we want to walk with Him today will not be an automatic guarantee that the day will be easy for me. It does not mean we will never stumble or that every problem will disappear. It simply means that we are not choosing to face the day alone. We are placing ourselves in the hands of the One who knows me completely, loves me faithfully, and can give me the strength, the wisdom, to meet whatever comes. By looking back upon my past, so full of mercy and comfort, I may bless the Lord with my whole heart, and triumph in Him as the high place of my eternal security.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1, ESV)
The Bible declares that God is our refuge even in the midst of total grief, or destruction. God is not merely a temporary retreat; he is our eternal refuge and can provide strength in any circumstance.
Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be. (Deut 33:25, ESV)
As we depend only on God,we will be eager to repeat what the psalmist has said to anyone who will listen:
“On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.” (Psalms 138:3, ESV)
The greater our present trials the louder will our future songs be, and the more intense our joyful gratitude. Had we no day of trouble, where were our season of retrospective thanksgiving? Our troubles and trials and griefs create an opportunity for divine interposition. That’s why we can sing our triumphant praise. Our personal Dawn Chorus will arise, with healing in it’s wings, and others will be drawn to the Source of our song, for Jesus has said:
I will be lifted up from the earth. When that happens, I will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32, ERV)
The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Savior’s atonement. Those who study the Redeemer’s wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption–the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary. This is to be the theme of every discourse. Christ declares
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” {5BC 1137.7-8}
Today can be the day. Today can be your day. When you ask Jesus to walk with you in all things. When you will then sing your own Dawn Chorus to all who are willing to listen, that God might be glorified. (1 John 1:1-3)
The cross stands alone, a great center in the world. It does not find friends, but it makes them. It creates its own agencies. Christ proposes that men shall become laborers together with God. He makes human beings His instrumentalities for drawing all men unto Himself. A divine agency is sufficient only through its operation on human hearts with its transforming power, making us colaborers with God. {5BC 1138.1} (see also Gal 6:14, Eph 2:13)
It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Rom 3:26, ERV)
“As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; man could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God.” {6BC 1071.11}
“It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete. It is the blending of the two that leads us, as we view the world’s Redeemer and the law of Jehovah, to exclaim:
“Thy gentleness hath made me great.” (Psalms 18:35)
We know that the gospel is a perfect and complete system, revealing the immutability of the law of God. It inspires the heart with hope, and with love for God. Mercy invites us to enter through the gates into the city of God, and justice is sacrificed to accord to every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King.” {6BC 1072.1}
