Surprise Visitors in the Garden Bring Joy

June 5, 2023

This was written a year ago. The goldfinches made another appearance this week. As I was reviewing my blogs, I found this. I was blessed and encouraged by it so I wanted to repost it.

As many of you know, my favorite part of the day is my morning coffee on the porch. I drink my coffee and read the bible. I visit a couple of devotionals and check my e-mail as I enjoy the birds and critters playing in my garden. I am always amazed how He weaves it all together as a message for me.

That's what happened last week.

The opening scripture was one of my favorites! Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

The first devotional I read said the blessed life we are called to isn't reserved for someday when we get to heaven. It is available to us right now. Living that blessed life now is one of the desires of my heart.

The second message said to get ready as the spiritual atmosphere is ripe for breakthroughs and blessings.

Now I'm getting excited. Something is getting ready to happen, right here, right now, on my porch! I'm about to experience a little bit of the blessed life, I can feel it.

I eagerly click on the following e-mail.

"…Let go of the bitter memories and know that what I have for you now will put the lie to all that the enemy has said to you in the past. You are loved. You will be loved. You will be showered with affection and sweetness. This is your portion, says the Father. You are the beloved, and I will cause you to know this and experience in fullness on the earth, and in your life.

My love is an everlasting love, says the Father. It is not good to be alone, therefore, you will not be alone. You will not be alone in a crowd, and you will not be a mere observer of the joy of others. You will have joy, rejoicing, and fulfillment, for that is what I promised, and I always make good on My word, says your Father, who loves and looks out for you in every area of life."

Prophet Russ Walden

As I read this, I thought, Yes! That is a desire of my heart, a blessing I want now. A breakthrough of joy in my life and not just observing the joy of others; I receive that. I grabbed my pen and started journaling:

I will not be a mere observer of the joy of others. I will have joy, rejoicing, and fulfillment because that is what my Father promised. He loves me and showers me with affection and sweetness. He will cause me to know and experience jo…

A commotion outside my window caused me to look up.

garden bird bath

(I was so caught up in watching the birds play, I forgot to take a picture, so I added a few birds into the picture of my garden to give you an idea of what I saw)

To my amazement, a pair of goldfinches were playing in the birdbath! On seeing the bright yellow of the male bird, joy bubbled up on the inside of me. I couldn't help but laugh as another couple joined them. They played there for a bit and flew away.

Since this was the first and only appearance of these birds in my garden so far, I knew the Lord was telling me something. So I looked up the birds and found out they were American Goldfinches. All the various sites I visited said they are symbolic of joy, enthusiasm, positivity, persistence, and celebration.

As I prayed and meditated on what he had shown me that morning, I realized the Lord was telling me joy is here today, and more is coming. As I persist in delighting in the Lord, breakthrough will come. What the Father has promised me will be fulfilled. There is rejoicing and celebration in my future! And this message was so precious and of great significance to me that He didn't want to leave any room for doubt. Those little birds were a sign from the Lord telling me what I was hearing that day was truly from Him.

And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose. Hebrew 2:4 NLT

Signs and Wonders are waiting for you.

We often reserve signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit for big revival meetings with famous evangelists. But God doesn't only show up for the big and the famous. He shows up to anyone open to receiving from Him. And that day, He showed up in my garden to confirm His personal message of encouragement for me. Those beautiful, bright yellow birds were a gift to me. Their visit at the same time I was reading about the Lord's promise of joy was a sign and wonder.

God is no respecter of persons, so what He does for me, He'll do for you. I believe God will confirm His Word for you with signs and wonders if you are open to receiving them. It is one way He gives us the deepest desire of our heart, which is a personal relationship and communication with Him. It may be something big, like a check in the mail or healing in your body. But it may be something as simple as a particular bird showing up in your garden at precisely the right time. So keep your eyes open, signs and wonders are coming your way!

Father,

I ask that you would confirm Your Word to every person who reads this with signs and wonders. Open our hearts and minds to what you are doing so they aren't missed. Make these experiences personal and tailored just for them, so there is no room for doubt that you are interested in every aspect of their life. May the joy it brings bubble up and overflow to those around them as a testimony of your loving-kindness.

In Jesus Name

Have you experienced God confirming His message to you? If so, share it in the comments below as an encouragement to those who are reading this. I'm looking forward to hearing about your experiences!