“Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.” Psalm 108:2-3
If you’re an early riser or have ever been awake just before sunrise, then you may have noticed the energetic, loud and nonstop singing of several birds. This phenomenon has been named The Dawn Chorus and occurs in many different species of birds all around the world.
Some scientists believe male birds sing before dawn to defend their territory or use it as a mating call. These birds are demonstrating how strong they are by how loudly they can sing. It is also believed that they choose to do this just before sunrise because it is too dark to find food and because it is quiet enough for their voices to travel far.
I was first introduced to The Dawn Chorus when my daughter and I decided to have a camp out in our backyard. We spent the night in a tent, and I realized the next morning that you do not need an alarm clock in nature. I was awakened by what sounded like a hundred birds trying to out sing one another.
At first, I was very upset by my early morning wake up call, but as I laid there and listened, I began to enjoy their beautiful song. I thought about how much more our God in Heaven enjoys this beautiful song every morning. His creation doing what they were created to do and singing praise to their Creator for the start of another day. If the birds of the air can wake up and give praise to the Lord, then I should too.
I hope that if you are ever abruptly awakened by this beautiful chorus, you too will be reminded to sing the Lord’s praise each morning when you rise.