Hope someone can use this for their hearts and maybe the hearts of those
around them. Maybe you can condense the length if so to use it.
BIRD
DEVOTION
Sunday night, just over a week ago, I was doing something here at
my home that required my six foot ladder. Problem was, that ladder was at
our Ranger Hut at church. So, I went to retrieve it. But when I walked
into the Hut, I discovered that there were two birds perched on my
ladder. I thought that as soon as I approached them, that they would
immediately fly away. They didn't. I walked over to the light switch,
flipped it on, and re-approached the ladder. To my amazement, the birds
just held their position on the ladder. They weren't asleep, because
birds bury their heads in feathers to one side when they go to sleep. So,
being the animal lover that I am, I gently picked up the ladder, walked
to the doorway of the Hut, and leaned the ladder out of the doorway,
thinking they would surely fly away. They just leaned the direction they
knew they had to in order to keep their position on the ladder!
By this time, I knew that they had to be sick or somehow
disabled, so I went and found a bird cage that a member of our church had
no longer needed. I cleaned the cage, opened the door, put the door in
front of each bird and gently prodded them both into the cage. With some
fluttering and protest from them, I brought them home and provided some
water, still contemplating what could be wrong with them and what the
whole story might be behind their conditions. Their tail feathers and
necks looked particularly under developed, but they seemed to be almost
full grown in every other way. I determined that they were blue jays.
I provided them with some bread to eat, initially. And then my
wife went and bought bird feed. They wouldn't touch any of it. They only
opened their mouths wide for a few drops of water that my wife
inadvertently discovered that they would drink, as baby birds would
receive from their mothers.
Later, one of them escaped through the bars of the cage.
Fortunately, my wife rescued it from a low branch on a small tree, and
returned it to the cage where it's sibling was very distraught in absence
of the escapee. I then began leaving the door to our screened in back
porch closed, just before the escapee educated it's sibling on the method
of escape, which would have surely resulted in both of them ending up
being one of our cat's delightful meal. I had to search extensively
before I found one of them hid under an old set of my wife's drums.
Unfortunately, this story didn't have a happy ending. Dispite my
efforts even to try to get them to open up to canned dog food mixed with
water, a method inherited from my Mom, the birds never would eat. And I
sadly had to watch helplessly as they just starved themselves to death
about three days later.
It occurred to me later that God must surely grieve as He sees so
much of mankind doing much the same thing as those birds did. Despite all
of the efforts He has done to bring us into his fold, through the
sacrifice of His Son, many of us just turn to the side, allowing the
cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches to choke the
spiritual life out of us, just as thorns that would choke the life out of
a seedling. (Matt 13) Jesus revealed the mystery to us in His Word, that
He is the Bread of Life from heaven. (John 6:33-51) God told us through
His Son that "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4) But how many of us turn
aside from God's cure for spiritual malnutrition, sickness and death, and
concentrate our efforts on escape from the place he would have us to stay
for nourishment and healing? What deep sadness I feel, to realize that I
can actually hut God's feelings by grieving His Spirit,
(Eph 5:30) through the corrupt works that come out of a stagnated and
malnourished heart.
But on the other end of the spectrum, what a joy it must be for
Him to watch as His people abide in His Word, where there is hope,
healing and abundant life, showing themselves to be His "disciples
indeed" and enjoying feeding on the "truth that shall make you free".
(John 8:31-32) "For the law of the Spirit of life IN Christ Jesus has
MADE ME FREE from the law of sin and death." (Rom. 8:2) [emphasis, mine]
The meaning of the original word, eleutheroo, used in the New
Testament in the form of "made free" is used exclusively for the
expression to describe Jesus' setting believers free from the dominion of
sin. (Quoted from the Strongs concordance as through the Spirit Filled
Life Bible)
At first glance, a bird cage seems like a place of hopeless
captivity. To many, the Christian life seems to be a religious weight
that they don't want to carry. But those of us who have tasted, and seen
that the Lord is gracious, (I Pet 2:3) want to continue in praise and
communication with Him in prayer. There are lots of birds in captivity
that are quite happy and content. And if you get around them, you can see
and hear that they are. They are a blessing to their owners and bring joy
into their lives.
IN Christ Jesus, through faith in His finished work at the cross,
we actually find spiritual food, restoration, peace and safety from our
enemy, along with abundant life that blesses all who happen to cross our
paths! And that can hold true, no matter what circumstances happen to
surround us in this life.
The song rings through my heart and soul "Turn your eyes upon
Jesus; look full in His glorious face; and the things of this world, will
grow strangely dim; in the light of His glory and grace".
Blessings,
Fred
lookinup2Him : ^{)] Luke 21:28; Heb 12:2
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