CLEOEJACKSONIII.COM
  • My Home Page
  • My Life and Ministry
  • My Ongoing Thoughts
  • My Favorite Bible Verses
  • My Favorite Stories
  • My Favorite Jokes
  • My Favorite Quotations
  • My Favorite Web Links
  • My Contact Info
"Helping Others Communicate"

NOT IN MY HOUSE

7/25/2014

 
Picture
While on our recent vacation visiting my sister down in Alabama, I noticed a strange sight on her back porch.  A wind chime had a bird’s nest built on it. That, in and of itself, is not all that uncommon.  I have seen the same sight at my in-laws’ house. What made this unique was that there was snake wrapped around the chime and obviously preparing to attack the nest.

Not wanting to miss this rare scene of natural predation, I went out to investigate.  Imagine my surprise to discover that it was a rubber snake that had been wrapped around the wind chime by my sister.  And yet, why should that be surprising?   No doubt many folks have done something similar in an attempt to keep birds from building their nests in inappropriate places.  
 
What was interesting here is that some brave birds had apparently gone ahead and built their nest in the wind chime even after the snake was placed there. You can see for yourself...

Now,  from the perspective of a homeowner like my sister, I certainly would not want  to see birds building their nests on my back porch and/or in my decorative  items.  But from the perspective of  the little birds, I have to say “Bravo”!  
  
It is hard to know just why they went ahead and built there. Perhaps they were too dumb to recognize imminent danger.  Or perhaps they were smart enough to know  the colorful rubber snake was not real.  Either way, one thing is certain.  Upon encountering the obstacle, irrespective of the risks involved, they  went on with their plans…  They  built their nest.  They hatched their brood.  They reared their chicks.  And they abandoned their  nest.  In short, they lived their lives out just as they were designed to do in spite of the dangers they faced.
 
It strikes me that the same can be true for us.  All around us there are dangers.  Some of these are easily seen; while others are not.  Some of these are small; while some of these are great. And one of these is greatest of all.  He is the evil one that the Bible (in the second verse of the twentieth  chapter of the New Testament Book of Revelation) calls
“that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan.”  Moreover, the Apostle Peter, in first New Testament letter, tells us that “our enemy the devil prowls around … looking for someone to devour.”

Now, in light of this, we have two choices.  We can choose to be paralyzed with fear and give up on living the life God intended us to live.  Or we can choose to follow the Biblical admonition of the Apostle James, who tells us (4:7) to:
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” 

Just as these little birds boldly called the bluff of what was ultimately a harmless serpent, even so we can have courage in the face of the evil one.  How do I know this?  Because Jesus Himself, in the Gospel of John (16:33),says,
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  This truth is further affirmed by the Apostle John in his first New Testament Letter (4:4), when he says, “the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

And that is later verified by the Apostle John's great vision of the end of times in the twentieth chapter of the New Testament Book of Revelation when the old devil is thrown into a lake of fire where he will be punished and tormented for all eternity! 

In closing, I am reminded of the teachings of Jesus in the famed “Sermon on the  Mount” as recorded in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew (6:26), when He said,
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?”  
 
There on my sister’s back porch sits the evidence that God did indeed take care of a small family of birds.   And there, as well, for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, sits the reminder that God will also take care of His children!


Comments are closed.

    Cleo E. Jackson, III

    Occasionally I will add
    a few thoughts to my blog. If you find them inspirational, I will be
    honored.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    Categories

    All