Mockingbird Songs: A Simple Lesson In Worship

A mockingbird’s early morning song holds a simple, beautiful lesson about worship, and how all of creation sings its praise to the Lord.

Almost every morning just before daybreak, I am awakened by the sound of a mockingbird singing his heart out near my bedroom window. He sits in our scrubby maple tree and shouts his little song to anyone who will listen. There was a big lesson tucked inside that funny song.

Mockingbird Song

My mockingbird’s song is my alarm clock, and I will be honest, it is not exactly a beautiful melody. There is no obvious tune, just a jumble of squawks, calls, and shrill whistles. But he does not seem to care one bit. He belts out his own song with everything his dear little soul has.

Some mornings his wake-up call is comical because it is so bad. Other mornings, I will admit, it is a bit much. But either way, that little bird got me thinking.

Not long ago, a fragment of scripture came to mind, something about the trees of the field clapping their hands. What a picture that is. Can you see the wind moving through the branches, making them clap?

The Trees Clap Their Hands

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you with singing, and the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

I know that verse is being pulled a bit out of its original context, but I love to think of all the earth singing its own song of worship to the Lord. The trees clapping their hands, and yes, even my scrappy little mockingbird friend belting out his ragtag song.

All Creation Sings

Sing to the Lord all the earth, sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice, let the seas roar and all it contains, let the fields exult and all that is in it, then all of the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for He is coming. Psalm 96:1,2,11-13

All the earth, in its own way, knows and gives glory to the Lord. Nature knows its Creator, and in one great act of corporate worship, it simply does what it was made to do. It shows and worships God and who He is. We can see God and who He is through His creation. That is worship at its purest.

Even my noisy little mockingbird is singing with everything within him, doing exactly what God made him to do. And somehow that pleases the Author of the Universe. Nature cannot wait for the Lord to return. All of creation feels the weight of this broken world and waits with real anticipation for Jesus to come back.

What Keeps Us From Singing Our Own Song

Here is the startling part. God’s most prized creation, us, does not always feel that same eagerness to worship.

Unlike the rest of creation, we often like to praise ourselves instead. We can act independently of our wonderful Creator, letting our songs and our days become self-driven rather than God-centered. It happens so easily, doesn’t it? A distracted morning, a long list of worries, a habit of leaning on our own strength instead of His. Before we know it, the song we were made to sing gets quiet.

But we were made for the most intimate relationship with the God of all. Our very being was created to be a song of praise to Him, just like the rest of creation.

Singing Your Own Song

This morning I took a lesson from my little birdie friend. I got up and started my day with my own song to the Lord, even before my feet hit the floor.

Maybe for you it looks like whispering a verse before you get out of bed, or turning on a worship song while the coffee brews, or simply thanking Him for the new day before your mind fills with the day’s to-do list. It does not have to be pretty. My mockingbird certainly is not. It just has to come from a heart that knows Who made it and Who it belongs to.

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad. Psalm 118:24

 Let’s join creation in praising our Maker today. Let’s live in Him the way we were created to, clapping our hands, singing our songs, however off-key they may be, right along with the trees.

Happy Sunday, friends…