Isaiah 34:15
The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate.
One day Joyce and I were driving along when a Killdeer Plover suddenly flew across the road ahead of our car. Immediately we were reminded of the amazing antics we had previously observed killdeers demonstrate. We once owned a house and had not yet planted grass. It was flat with very little vegetation. We noticed that a mother killdeer had made a nest in a very shallow depression, which seemed foolish since the eggs would be so vulnerable. It was then that we witnessed the remarkable defensive tactics of this bird.
Anytime a threat approached the nest—man, bird, or beast—the mother killdeer would suddenly go into a remarkable bit of acting. She would begin to flutter and flop as if wounded. When the intruder began to follow the “wounded” bird, she flopped further and further away from the nest while making the characteristic call that gives this bird its name, “Kill-deer, kill-deer, kill-deer.” Once the threat had been lured far away from the nest, the “wounded” killdeer would suddenly take wing and fly away to safety. When everything was safe, she would return to continue the task of hatching her eggs.
It is wonderful to realize that God has created these seemingly defenseless killdeer with such unique instinctive methods of protecting their eggs. He also has unique ways of defending us. When we place our trust in Him, He will care for us. In Matthew 6, where we read the prayer our Lord taught His disciples to pray, we find these wonderful words of promise in verse 13: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” He will answer our prayer!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil