A gentleman who had been an officer in the British army was a Christian. Formerly his one object in life was to serve his King and country, but now his one object was to serve the Lord Jesus and to tell others of this wonderful Saviour.
One day he was asked to visit a policeman who was sick in bed. The policeman was a big husky man, while the officer was quite small in stature. Somehow the thought of going to talk to this big man was almost too much for him, and he hardly knew what he would say to him. However, trusting the Lord to give him a message, he started out. On the way, the only verse that would come into his mind was Proverbs 27:88As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place. (Proverbs 27:8): “As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.” It seemed a most unsuitable verse to bring before the big policeman, but still he felt that this was what the Lord would have him say to him.
So when he reached the sick man’s bedside he said, “Mr. Timmer, I have come to see you and the only thing I can think of to say to you is, ‘As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.’”
“Well,” said the policeman, “that is very remarkable. I have just had a very interesting experience with a bird that wandered from his nest.
Very early the other morning as I was walking along, something fell just in front of me. It was still half dark and I could not see very well; but when I reached it I found that it was a little bird that had wandered from its nest. At once I thought, I must get that little bird, put it in my pocket, and take it home to my wife who would take care of the little thing. But the bird fluttered away into the gutter, and eventually it got down a hole between the pavement and the wall. I could not get my big hand down after it, so I had to leave it there to perish.”
“Now,” said the Christian officer, “I must tell you about a little bird. I live on the corner of a road in a house with a big veranda around three sides of it. Under the roof in one corner of the veranda lived two little birds which had built their nest there. After a while the eggs in that nest hatched. One morning, just as my wife came out of the door, one of the little baby birds hopped off the nest right into a tub of water. My wife immediately ran to it, rescued it from the water, dried it as best she could, and put it back in the nest.
“I see now why God wanted me to give you that verse. The little bird that fell out of the nest would not let you catch it, and finally perished in that dark hole, is like the picture of the sinner away from God. He does not know the loving heart of the Lord Jesus who longs to take him up in His arms, save him and bless him. And so he runs away from the One who loves him best, and perishes in the blackness of darkness forever.
“But the other little bird who fell into the water is a picture of the sinner who finds out that there is nothing but death and judgment for him. Just as my wife put her hand into that water, which meant death for the little thing, so the Lord Jesus has gone into death for the sinner. Such a one is thankful to have that blessed One stretch forth His hand to save and deliver him from his folly.”
The Lord used these simple stories to show the policeman how much he was like the first little bird. He had tried to get away from the One who loved him best, but now when he was ill he discovered that he was like the other little bird, and that he must perish unless Another delivered him from his perilous position.
The policeman found his Deliverer in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ who went into death for him on the cross, to save his soul and to have him in His bright eternal home of glory, where there shall be no sickness, pain, or death.
Which little bird are you like, dear young reader? Are you running away from the Saviour, who wants to save you? Will your end be the pit of death and judgment, forever? Or, will you not turn to the Lord Jesus and cry, “Lord Jesus, save me; I perish.”? He will not keep you waiting, but will save you in a moment, will put you in the place of safety forever, and you will find yourself on the road to heaven. W.E.S.
ML 06/27/1965