“ Even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD. . . ” Jeremiah 8: 7, NKJV.
Dear God, please teach us to observe and learn, that we might apply wisdom to our daily living. This is our prayer in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is amazing how much we can learn by observation. In our text for today, the LORD is comparing the knowledge of the times, displayed by the birds of the air, with the lack of the same, of His crowning work of creation – humankind. I believe He is making specific mention of the knowledge that the birds of the air manifest during the time of migration.
He mentions several different kinds of birds. It was interesting the things that I found out when I asked the question, “Do all birds migrate at the same time?” I opened a whole new world of knowledge which proved just how “fearfully and wonderfully” (Psalm 139: 14), not only humankind but all of God’s creatures, are made!
I found that some birds travel in big groups for protection, some travel alone, and some do not even migrate – they remain where they are year around, and adapt, to the change in weather. All of this information made one thing particularly evident – these creatures of nature have to know the times, and make plans accordingly.
We call them the lower creation, and refer to ourselves as, “God’s crowning act of creation.” Yet oftentimes our behavior does not sustain this claim. Indeed, there is much that we can learn from God’s second book, Nature. The key here is that these birds have taken the time to get to know the plans of their Creator, and then adapt, to His plans. Their total dependence upon God’s provision has led them to observe, learn, and obey. This threefold behavior is indispensable to their survival.
Signs all around seem to be telling us that something extraordinary is about to take place, and that the time is drawing near for us to migrate to that city “whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11: 10). It might do us good to look and learn from the birds of the air, lest we be “destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4: 6)!