Stray Birds
Today’s Verse:
As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place. ~Proverbs 27:8
The study of birds is referred to as ornithology. This is a Latin word that simply means “bird science.” Personally, my interest in birds is eating them! I like eating chicken, duck, quail, and turkey. Reference to the word birds is found 49 times in the Bible. Solomon uses the metaphor of a wandering bird to teach us a valuable lesson.
We see the description.
“As a bird that wandereth from her nest….” The nest is the home of a bird. It is made high up in trees, away from predators. It is where a bird feels safe. It is where its eggs are laid and hatched, and it is where baby birds are nurtured and grown. A bird that wanders is a stray bird. It is a bird that travels too far and too long. It is a bird that gets its sense of direction messed up and does not find its way home. It has strayed from the safety and protection of the nest. In wandering away, it has placed its young birds at risk of being devoured by predators. A stray bird is not in a healthy situation. A stray, or wandering, Christian, likewise, is just like this bird. He has wandered spiritually and personally. He has wandered from his responsibilities. He has wandered from his home and his church. He has wandered from where it is safe. He has wandered for fun, out of fear, out of foolishness, or because he wants to get away.
We see the danger.
Wandering birds are vulnerable prey. They trust themselves more than they should. They do not have safety zones or boundaries that they stay within. They perch themselves in places where they become targets. They put their young and their mate at risk. They try to live in a nest that is not meant for them. Wandering believers wind up aligning themselves with the world and Satan. They ignore the warning signs. They close themselves off from others. They suffer attacks. Just as wandering birds can become malnourished, the same holds true for wandering believers.
We see the discernment.
Do you know the signs of wandering? They are: when you are not in your place in church; when you cease or reduce in serving others; when you starve your soul life from the Bible and prayer; when you don’t feel at home with attending church; when you become bored, tired, or fed up with the “nest;” when you don’t want to stay within the boundaries and safety zones; when you leave your first love; when you tend to be contentious and have strife with others; when you want to be an explorer and not a guardian; when you forget that you are supposed to produce new eggs and hatch new offspring (you aren’t interested in winning souls); when the nest becomes a burden to you instead of a blessing; when you aren’t trusting in God; or when you become a loner and pull yourself away from other Christians.
We see the determent.
Be accountable, and ask someone who is a trusted spiritual leader to help you determine if you are wandering and to correct you. Stay on a disciplined routine. Establish and stay within safety and boundary zones. Enjoy the nest that God has placed you in, and guard it vigilantly. Grow your nest by having offspring: go win souls. Realize that wandering is a stumbling block to other believers. Learn the joy of trusting in God and not in yourself. A wandering bird is a lesson to us of the dangers of wandering from God. Stay in your place and remain faithful.
Have a faithful God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Samuel 15-17