The dove has always been used as a symbol of tenderness and love. Maybe you have heard your big brother call some beautiful, brown-eyed girl with lovely, dark curly hair his “turtledove.” Of course, he was just trying to tell you how much he loved her. Wouldn’t you be surprised if he called her his buzzard or his crow! You know very well that would not fit at all. Nobody thinks of a buzzard or a crow as a type of love or a symbol of affection. But the turtledove speaks of sweetness, kindness, beauty, and grace. I have been told that the turtledove is the only one of all the birds that does not have any gall. Gall is very bitter. There is no bitterness about the turtledove. Among the animals, I have been told, the deer has no gall.
Let me remind you that if you trust the Saviour, He will take the bitterness out of your heart. He will make you a lovely Christian. He will take away your sins because He died for you at Calvary. He will make you a joy to your parents and you will be a blessing to all who know you.
One time I was a guest in the home of an old Swedish gentleman. He said to me, “I like the turtledove the best of all the birds.” This was interesting to me; so I asked him why. He said, “The turtledove always says, ‘God is good, is good, is good. God is good, is good, is good,’ and I like that.” Of course I had to agree with him, for surely the cooing of the dove sounds just like that.
If that is what the dove is saying, it certainly is the truth; for we do have a good God who gives us our daily food, the blessings of flowers and sweet perfumes, the rich provision of delicious fruits, precious friends, and many delightful comforts. We should love Him for that. Then, He gave us the Lord Jesus to save us, and we should love Him for that and trust the Saviour He has given us.
When I was a boy, I decided to gather a collection of birds’ eggs. What a time I had looking for nests? One day I found a hummingbird’s nest with two tiny eggs in it. I found a wren’s nest, and it had beautiful tiny eggs, also. One afternoon I went looking for a turtledove’s nest. I knew they liked to stay around the orchards, where there are lots of bugs and all kinds of insects to feed their babies. So I went to an apple orchard and, sure enough, found a turtledove’s nest. I climbed the tree, but found the nest empty. Finally, as I looked about among the trees, I saw a nest with a mother turtledove sitting on it. I did not intend to take both eggs but only one of them. Just before I reached the nest, the turtledove flew off. The poor thing seemed to have a broken wing. She flopped through the air so helplessly and then dropped down into the grass about 75 feet away from the tree.
I thought, “My! I’d rather catch the bird than have the eggs”; so I quickly came down from the tree and ran over to catch the bird. Just before I reached her, she flew up into the air, flopped around on one wing, flew through the air a little way, and then fell again into the grass. Of course I kept on running after her. Each time, just before I reached her, she flew up and limped off through the air to fall again a short distance away.
Finally, she led me out to the road. Then she made a face at me, so to speak, and flew off just as fine as could be. There was nothing wrong with her wing. She was just fooling me and leading me away from her nest. And she certainly succeeded. I went back and tried to find the nest. I was determined to get both eggs, but I did not find the nest. The orchard was large and there were many trees in it. I simply could not find the tree with that nest in it. Of course that is just what the mother turtledove wanted. That was her scheme to protect her nest, and it surely did work.
I have found some people to be like that when I tried to help them about their souls. They wanted to talk about something else, and would talk about all kinds of things rather than let me talk to them about the lovely Lord Jesus, who came to save them. I trust that none of Uncle Walter’s big family of boys and girls will be like the turtledove in this respect. When your Sunday school teacher wants to tell you about the Lord Jesus, listen attentively, because she wants to help you to know that blessed one who alone is able to save the soul and enrich the heart. Jesus will bring you to God the Father. He will make you fit for heaven and will bring you to heaven. Do not let anybody lead you astray or take you away from trusting this wonderful Saviour.