7th & 8th Bible Things to Ponder #10 A BIRD'S EYE VIEW Mom got up early Sunday morning and got the kids ready for church. Dad sat in the living room, reading his newspaper and looking out at the snow. They'd had the conversation before, but nothing had changed. "Why don't you go with us this week?" she asked. He didn't look up from his paper. "You know why," he said out loud and then in his own mind finished the answer with "A truly great God wouldn't care about puny humans anyway." The man replayed the argument in his mind: "If God is so perfect and great, why would He care about helping us? If God is so powerful, why would He make His Son become a human being? Why would He stoop so low to help us.... if God is really so great." The house was silent except for the sound of the logs crackling in the fireplace. From the other end of the house came a strange thump. The man put down his paper and walked down the hall. Outside the window huddled a group of birds. In confusion and fear, they had flown into the window pane and fallen to the ground. They huddled together in the snow trying to figure out what to do next. The man felt sorry for the birds. He thought to himself, "The birds could go in our barn and they'd be warm there." So he went outside and opened the door to the barn. Then he waited in the cold. The birds didn't move.

"I know, I'll shoe them over to the barn door," the man thought. But as he tried to herd the birds to the barn they simply scattered. Only after he left them alone did they come back to their spot in the snow.

The man had one last plan. He went back in the house and got a loaf of bread. Carefully, he tore off pieces of bread and made a path to the barn door. But the birds just huddled closer together, ignoring the gift of life that the man was offering.

Stumped, the man stood looking at the birds, wondering just what it would take to get them to safety. He thought to himself, "If only I could become a bird and lead them to safety, then they wouldn't have to die." He stopped and thought about it again. And he finally understood. --Louis Casself

“ In Him” Alone

1. Nothing, either great or small, 4. Weary, working, burden’d one, nothing, sinner no; why do you toil so? Jesus did it, did it all, Cease your doing; all was done long, long ago. long, long ago.

2. When He from His lofty throne 5. Till to Jesus’ work you cling stoop’d to do and die, by a simple faith, Everything was fully done; ‘Doing’ is a deadly thing — hearken to His cry — ‘doing’ ends in death.

3. ‘It is finish’d!’ Yes indeed, 6. Cast your deadly ‘doing’ down — finish ‘d every jot. down at Jesus’ feet; Sinner, this is all you need; Stand ‘in him,’ in Him alone, tell me, is it not? gloriously complete! --Octavius Winslow 24 INDICATIONS THAT WE NEED REVIVAL

1. When earthly interests and occupations are more important to us than eternal ones. 2. When we would rather watch TV and read secular books and magazines than read the Bible and pray. 3. When we have little or no desire for prayer. 4. When we would rather make money than give money. 5. When our Christianity is joyless and passionless. 6. When we know truth in our heads that we are not practicing in our lives. 7. When we make little effort to witness to the lost. 8. When we have time for sports, recreation, and entertainment, but not for Bible study and prayer. 9. When we do not tremble at the Word of God. 10. When we seldom think thoughts of eternity. 11. When we are more concerned about our jobs and careers than about the Kingdom of Christ and the salvation of the lost. 12. When Christian husbands and wives are not praying together. 13. When our children are growing up to adopt worldly values, secular philosophies and ungodly lifestyles. 14. When our prayers lack fervency. 15. When our hearts are cold and our eyes are dry. 16. When our singing is half-hearted and our worship lifeless. 17. When we are not seeing regular evidence of the supernatural power of God. 18. When we are bored with worship. 19. When we are more concerned about what others think about us than what God thinks about us. 20. When we are making little or no difference in the secular world around us. 21. When we are unmoved by the thought of our neighbors, business associates and acquaintances going to hell. 22. When we have ceased to weep and mourn and grieve over our sin. 23. When we aren't exercising faith and believing God for the impossible. 24. When we are blind to the extent of our need and don't think we need revival.

-- Author Unknown

Under His Wings

An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God's wings... After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live. "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust…" (Psalm 91:4)