Satan is Just Like
That
by Sam Renfro
If you like birds or bird watching, come join us here at Buffalo Ridge. God has certainly created some beautiful and interesting little creatures. Fortunately for us, He placed many different varieties here in our own backyard. I personally have never been a big fan of just sitting, watching, and waiting. I guess that's why my family and others tell me I'm not a very patient person. In spite of that, one afternoon my wife Karen and I were sitting on the deck of the Fellowship Room eating a bite of lunch, and we began to notice the birds. In those few moments we spotted bluebirds, a blue jay, two orioles, and a couple of goldfinches.
Since that lunch experience, I, "Mr. Impatient," haven't sat and waited, but I have kept my eyes alert to other birds. I have been watching to see how many different colors, sizes, shapes and varieties of birds come around Buffalo Ridge. Besides all the species I mentioned above, I have seen vultures, robins, black birds, red birds, wrens and swallows. There is one more bird here that has totally captivated my interest. It is the killdeer. It makes its small nest on the ground, usually among gravel or stones. It doesn't seem to be choosey or even very smart about where it makes its home. In the nest, you will find three or four beige and black speckled eggs. I have come to recognize that the killdeer is a precocious bird – they are born running! (Which is probably a good idea when your home is on the ground.)
The behavior I find most intriguing about this amazing little
bird, is how it goes about protecting its nest and young. If you are fortunate
enough to find a killdeer nest, as you begin to approach it, the parents will
begin to get your attention with loud calls. They go even further by pretending
to have a broken wing! It's amazing how they can move their wing to blend in
with some of their tail feathers to make it appear crippled. What a remarkable
way God has designed for this bird to protect its home and family! With this
great acting technique it is able to lure would-be predators away from the
nest, or it's young who are hiding somewhere in nearby vegetation.
Something came to me as I was watching this scene in nature. We can be just
like the one who could have found the nest – who could have reached
the goal – who could have received the prize sought, had we not become
distracted by the allure of something more easily attainable. As Christians
we have a goal, something we should be seeking. We have a prize in front of
us – to become as much like Jesus as possible. We want to love like Him,
react like Him, think like Him, respond like Him, serve like Him, and to live
like Him. Psalm 17:15 says, "I shall be satisfied when I awake with
Thy likeness." Let's not let the allurements of Satan and the world distract
us from that goal. I John 2:15 tells us, "Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world."
One more thing about the killdeer. When a predator gets to close to what could have been easily attained, the bird runs just a little further away. When he has drawn the enemy far enough away from its goal, it simply flies away, leaving confusion and dissatisfaction. In my mind, Satan is just like that.
Copyright 2007 His Way. All Rights Reserved.