Bits and Pieces – 193rd Edition – June 2, 2024

     One day last week a baby robin fluttered onto our deck, having successfully completed its first flight from its nearby nest.  It was followed by its mother.  She was anxious to show it how to fly upward to the nest area again.  It got me thinking about how wonderfully God created birds.

     The Bible speaks quite a bit about birds, from eagles to ravens, turtledoves and even the humble sparrow. Every bird comes out of an egg and from the gooey substance of yolk and white comes forth a bird.  It has a head and body, legs and wings and is dressed in an array of feathers of exquisite design. It is a tribute to God’s great design.

     The young birds are either male or female with enough of each to ensure the continuation of the species.   There is never a situation where there is not enough of one sex or the other.  God is not only the Creator, but also the Sustainer of nature. No evolutionary supposition can do that.  And this is true of all life.

     Birds do not need to go to dress shops – God gave them their clothing.  Nor do they need to go to grocery stores, or restaurants – God has supplied their food.  They don’t need mortgages to buy a home – they make their own.  And birds can do what no man can do – they can fly.  It took mankind many thousands of years just to understand how birds can fly.  And for man to fly needs many years of flight training.

     Many Christians neglect the world of nature, to their loss.  We glorify God by studying His creation.  We have joy in our hearts when we see God in His creatures.  Job reminds us to, “ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee” [Job 12:7].  Jesus tells us, “Ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

     In Canada, we have three levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal.  Paul exhorts us to pray for “all that are in authority” [1 Timothy 2:2].  Sadly, for many solid Christians this is a somewhat neglected practice.

     Ruling and governing a country in any age requires great wisdom, but in this century, where communications have shrunk the world, and everybody’s problem becomes our problem, the proverbial wisdom of Solomon is required.  The complexity of issues at home and abroad is such that great wisdom is needed to adequately understand these issues, let alone resolve them.

     Canada faces great and perplexing problems, and the individual is willing to play his small part.  But he needs leadership and this must start in the halls of government.  The Christian can and should pray that our leaders will govern wisely and well.

     In the world of power politics, the people are too often manipulated as pawns on a chessboard.  May the Lord preserve us from the professional politician whose motivation is personal or party advancement or popularity.  However, there is little point in complaining about their failures when we do not pray for them.

“He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” [Galatians 6:8]

     Sowing looks like a losing business, for we put good corn into the ground, never to see it anymore.  Sowing to the Spirit may seem a very fanciful, dreamy business, for we deny ourselves and apparently get nothing for it.

     Yet if we sow to the Spirit by studying to live unto God, seeking to obey the will of God, and laying ourselves out to promote His honour, we shall not sow in vain.  Life shall be our reward, even everlasting life.

     What a harvest will that be when we reap life everlasting!  What sheaves of endless bliss will be reaped!  Lord, make us such reapers, for thy Son’s sake. [C.H. Spurgeon].