Observing The Geese
Rise and Shine for Jesus! \O/
By
Pam Iannello
(my late mother)
While
doing some research in preparation for school one day, I came across
a brief chapter in one of my books that covered the topic of geese.
Each year around this time we see many of them flying south which
prompted me to want to read up on them. Maybe where you are located
you too can see them flying overhead and hear them honking at each
other. Whenever we hear their unmistakable call, we always stop what
we are doing and run to locate the geese in the sky. Some flocks are
larger than others, but they all appear to know
exactly
what they are doing and it is amazing to observe! Today I want to
share with you a summary of information I gathered about geese from
the book "Of Skies and Seas" by Joanne E. DeJonge, because
I think you'll get a blessing from it…
While
flying in perfect V formation high overhead, these geese make their
journey south many times, but in the dark night they have no
landmarks to guide them. Some of the geese in the group have made
the trip before; some are making it for the first time. They take an
arrow-straight route from their summer homes to their winter homes,
flying thousands of miles on that route. They leave their northern
residence at just the right
time,
for food will soon become scarce for them. Going south will protect
them from starvation. Who told them when to go? Who told them where
to go? Who shows them the way? God
alone has designed them to know by instinct, He has appointed these
times and places for them.
Surely we see the evidence of our Creator in the design of this bird!
Jeremiah
8:7 (KJV)
Yea, the stork in heaven knoweth her appointed
times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time
of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.
Ladies,
these simple geese are not ignorant of God's plan for them - yet we
are! In order for geese to know when
to go, where
to go in order to remain alive and enjoy God's provision and
protection for them, geese must yield to God's design for their
lives. Do we give way to His intentions? How come believers are all
flying off in their own direction and are not taking the straight
path that God designed for His children?
Job 21:14 (KJV)
Therefore
they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of
thy ways.
I
wonder what the formation of geese flying south would look like if
they had the attitude of God's people described in the verse above?
What a mess we would see in the sky! Some of the birds probably
wouldn't make it to their southern resting places, some of them would
drop to the ground in fatigue, and some would go without food and
then freeze in the cold winter temperatures. Instead, while yielding
to God's plan, the geese exhibit more wisdom than humans do! They
are a better example of following the Lord than Christians are. As
the body of Christ we would do well to learn from the geese…
Job
12:7 (KJV)
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee;
and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
Job
35:11 (KJV)
Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth,
and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
Interestingly
enough, the V formation geese fly in helps them conserve energy.
Each goose cuts the wind and creates a little air pocket for the
goose behind it. The foremost bird must work the hardest. When that
goose tires it drops behind and another goose takes its turn in
front. And who do you think gave them this knowledge?? Who chose
this formation for them?? God
did! If only Christians
understood as well as the geese do that there must be a proper
formation to our lives in order that we might pass the time of our
sojourning wisely and arrive safely at our final resting place! Do
YOU really understand the importance of submission and authority in
your life? The geese following behind the one in front must yield to
the fact that since they do not hold the lead position they must
trust the leadership of the one who is in charge. Similarly, wives
need to trust their husbands and get behind them, children need to
trust their parents and get behind them. Families need to once again
take the proper formation, each member flying safely within it's own
designated pocket of air created by the one flying in front of them.
Even in Bible believing churches many Christian's do not trust the
leadership of their pastor and what he sees while flying out in front
of the flock, and consequently one goose can cause the formation of
the body of Christ to begin to lose it's shape. As a result, the
world views our Christian family formation as a mess, and who wants
to get in line behind something that has no form or shape to it??
Would a goose want to be a human if he were to observe you?
Isaiah 59:8 (KJV)
The
way of peace they know not; and
there is no judgment in their goings:
they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein shall not
know peace.
God
has equipped geese with everything they need to survive. They have
large webbed feet for swimming power. If their feet were merely toes
without webbing, the bird couldn't paddle in the water as easily as
it does. Eyes set on the side of its head allow the goose to see in
front and on either side without moving. If the eyes were set
forward, the bird couldn't see danger approach. If the eyes were set
farther back, the bird couldn't see food in front. A flat beak, fit
together to form strainers on either side, allows the goose to eat
properly. Water flows out of its beak while food is caught in the
strainer. A hard "nail" at the tip of its upper beak
enables the goose to cut grasses and grains. If the beak were
different, how would a goose eat? What glorious evidence their lives
bring of the wisdom of our Creator! Where is our visible proof,
Christian?
Psalm
119:105 (KJV)
Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm
48:14 (KJV)
For
this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto
death.
Like
the geese, God has equipped His children with everything they need to
survive - all found in the Bible, His Holy Word! Ladies, it is God’s
Word that enlarges our steps, that gives us "swimming power",
so to speak. Without the counsel of God's Word, we cannot paddle in
the water of afflictions with assurance. The Word of God gives us
wisdom; it gives us spiritual eyes that we might properly discern
evil, spot danger around us and thereby avoid being trapped by it.
With these same spiritual eyes we are able to properly discern where
we can find adequate spiritual food for our souls, as we search the
land for the right church and rest ourselves there for nutrition and
protection. Through the Word of God, we develop our spiritual beaks,
allowing us to take in a steady diet of good preaching, eating the
proper amounts of spiritual food as a Christian should - not too much
and not too little. Like the geese, while that good food is filling
our strainer, the water of the Word should also be flowing out of our
beaks, thereby ministering grace to the hearers of our words. And
that added hard "nail" at the tip of your upper beak ought
to be enabling you to cut right through anything that comes your way!
Ladies, Christians are observed more closely than the geese are,
therefore we must soberly consider what others are learning from us.
Like the geese, our life's testimony ought to bring glory to God and
the perfection of His plan. Would
a lost person want to be saved upon observing your life?
 |
| RomeSweetHome |
Psalm
19:7 (KJV)
The
law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the
Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
One
thing that I thought was very interesting about the geese is that of
the family formation they follow on land. Both parent geese are very
protective of their young. As they swim, they keep the goslings
close to them. One parent always watches for danger and is quick to
chase anything that may threaten the family. Parent geese molt in a
way that protects the family. They change their feathers only once a
year, while the young are growing their flight feathers. Usually the
female molts first. She loses so many feathers that she is unable to
fly and has lost most of her defense. But the male still has his old
feathers and is able to defend the family. After the female grows
her new feathers, the male molts. While he is flightless the female
defends the family. Both parents have molted by the time the
goslings grow their flight feathers. Now the family can fly
together!
What
a marvelous design! Nobody is outgrowing anybody - they each
patiently and lovingly wait for all members of the family to be ready
for the day of take-off. Such wise preparation and protection of the
family is taken by the geese. What's the matter with us?? Even in
Christian homes today family members are striving to be out in front
of each other. Christian men, women, and children are hardened to the
authority, maturity, and individual abilities of their other family
members. As a result, they get out of line, losing sight of the
proper formation of the Christian home.
Proverbs 27:8 (KJV)
As a
bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from
his place.
Countless
mothers are insensitive to the needs of their young children and
little ones aren’t as safe and comfortable as they were in days
gone by. Many women desire to be out in the work force making money,
rather than at home nurturing their little goslings. Their young are
found swimming along side daycare workers rather than their own
mothers! Yes, even Christian mothers are unwilling to molt, going
against God's design for them to lose their feathers and their
ability to fly on their own. Similarly, Christian women today prefer
to remain their own defense force rather than becoming dependent upon
the Lord and their husbands for protection and provision. As a
result, the Christian husband, being denied his God-given tendencies
to protect his family, can begin to lose his desire to watch over and
care for his flock because his Christian wife insists on having her
own way. She
wants to be flying out in front! The Christian husband often remains
“flightless” and gets used to things being that way...
Consequently, the female hinders herself spiritually and never grows
those new feathers God has for her. She does not understand that
they are meant to help her fly to new
heights, TOGETHER with her family - in the proper time and formation.
Genesis 7:3 (KJV)
Of
fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to
keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
So,
very few are watching out for the dangers that can come upon the
home, and the young are the ones who suffer most. They never really
learn to fly properly and end up with no regard for any type of
formation in their lives at all. Ladies, God designed the fowls of
the air to keep seed alive,
and we could easily hit upon a spiritual principle in that design…
What will this next generation understand about home life based on
the way society is today? Under corrupt conditions, children lose
their respect for authority and do not care to follow their parents
who have not cared about following the Lord! We are losing godly
seed on a daily basis… Yes, even we Christians have made a mess of
our homes and the geese are better at home life than we are…
Lament. 2:19 (KJV)
Arise,
cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine
heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands
toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger
in the top of every street.
Lament.
4:4 (KJV)
The
tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for
thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto
them.
In
closing, what kind of a goose would you say you are today, dear lady?
Do you fly in formation? How
would your family answer that question?
Do you frequently slip out of line just to see what's up ahead, or
do you trust God with the one who is out in front of you? Are you
providing the proper air pocket for the geese behind you? Is your
family flying together on an arrow-straight route, or has your
journey gone haywire due to the fact that you are all vying for the
lead position? Are you honking encouragement to one another along
the way? Are you keeping your goslings close to you, mother goose?
Are you growing new feathers? Have you found a proper resting place
near a good Bible preaching church? Are you eating the right
spiritual food and spilling forth pure water from your beak? How's
your swimming power been? Have you enlarged your steps with the Word
of God, or are you trying to swim with separated toes, having no
convictions to stand on? If so, I'll bet you aren't getting very far
and I'll bet you're tired… You won’t see danger up ahead and
eventually you’ll fall prey to the enemy in your weak condition.
Don't be a "silly goose", be a smart one! Heed the Word of
God and do what your Creator designed you to do – follow
His plan for your life and fly right!
God
Bless,
Pam
Isaiah
60:1&2
Comments
Post a Comment