December 27, 2007
As winter sets in harder, the ground in the backyard has snow and is almost frozen over. When I look outside I can see still several birds that are still hanging out in the cold and refusing to seek alternate shelter.
Eight of them sat on the ice, with the ninth having its turn in the water that melts and then refreezes. The last remaining spot of open water during the thaw is literally just big enough for one bird to get in. There is one bird that is possibly hurt. I think it has something wrong with it's wing.
All the other birds have left and whether they flew south for the winter or where they went, I don't know but these nine remain behind. All the signs and all their instincts are surely telling them it is past the time to seek shelter. Yet they are stubbornly refusing to obey.
The birds can’t will nicer weather back, no matter how hard they try. They are simply not in control. If they don’t seek shelter soon they will be dead birds not just dumb birds.
People can be like those birds. We often know when God is telling us to do something, or to stop doing something but we refuse. We put up with all the discomfort of disobedience and simply refuse to obey.
Throughout the Old Testament, God refers to His disobedient as stubborn and stiff necked. They knew who God was; they just didn’t seem to want any part of Him.
Even solid believers sometimes get stubborn. The disciples did:
Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. Mark 16:14 NIV
In what area of your life are you behaving like a dumb bird and stubbornly refusing to listen or obey?
Until next time, may Holy Spirit convict you to soften your heart in that area and move you to obedience.
God bless.
Darrel Mason