“Let’s build something,” said Philip as he picked up a hammer. He and his family were visiting Grandpa and Grandma for a few days. He was always looking for things to do.
“How about building a birdhouse?” suggested Grandma. She helped him choose scraps of wood from the woodpile and got a bag of nails.
Grandma held the pieces of wood while Philip nailed them together. He made a floor, walls and a roof. When he had it all put together there was even a perch for the birds, and the floor extended forward for a little porch.
“We’ll screw in a hook for hanging it in a tree, then your daddy can drill the entrance hole,” Grandma explained. They put the finishing touches on the birdhouse.
Later that week Philip and his family returned home from Grandpa and Grandma’s. Daddy drilled the entrance hole, then got a ladder and hung up the birdhouse in a fir tree close to the house where they could watch it.
A few days later Mother noticed a twig poking out of the hole. Soon a small brown bird landed on the perch with another stick in its beak and it carried it inside the birdhouse. “It looks like we have a bird family, Philip,” Mother said.
Getting out their bird book, they learned that the little bird was a house wren. It had a very clear, musical song which it sang throughout the day.
Philip and his family watched the busy little bird that day and the next. They were surprised at the energy of such a small bird, bringing so many sticks to the nesting box. The third day, however, that little wren was nowhere to be seen. Its beautiful song, like a gurgling mountain stream, was absent too.
Mother got out the bird book again and read that male house wrens try to attract females by singing and nest building. If this doesn’t work, they will leave the nest and search somewhere else. So that explains why our little wren didn’t stay, Philip thought to himself. It was a daddy bird who couldn’t find a mommy bird.
Our heavenly Father created these birds and gave them their special instincts. We can’t help but be reminded of another home being prepared for a bride. It is a beautiful home in heaven. “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:22In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)), the Lord Jesus told His disciples. And this includes each one who puts his trust in Him by coming to Jesus to have his sins washed away. This makes each one fit for His presence since sin cannot enter that wonderful home in heaven.
That little wren could only prepare a nest and wait, singing his most beautiful song. But since it failed to attract a mate, he had to leave, alone.
Our Lord Jesus was alone with His Father in heaven. In order to have a bride with Him there, He had to become a man and die for our sins. In this way He prepared us for that home, if we will accept His offer to remove our sins.
In John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3) the Lord Jesus went on to tell them that “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Soon He will come again to receive His bride, all believers, to Himself. We know that heaven will be filled, and a new song will be sung. It will be a beautiful song of worship and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus for His love to us. Will you be there with Him?
Oh what a home! But such His love,
That He must bring us there,
To fill that home, to be with Him,
And all His glory share.
ML-01/03/1993