Do any of you boys and girls who live in North America watch for the different kinds of birds to come back in the spring? It’s usually in March when we look forward to hearing that first red-winged blackbird’s call off in the distance or to hear that first robin’s cheerful call. Sometimes we see them before we hear their calls. About the same time of year, some of us are expecting to see some much larger birds, the sandhill cranes, winging their way north in large groups of Vs. Most of these cranes make their summer homes much farther north, so we don’t see them on the ground, but we see hundreds of them flying high in the sky.
But there is something very interesting about the sandhill cranes. We don’t see them first—we hear their calls as they are flying, and then we look up to find them high in the sky. Even though we are expecting them, it is always a happy surprise to hear that first group calling as they are flying high overhead. It might still be cold weather, but it’s a signal that spring is on its way! And who doesn’t look forward to spring!
The sandhill cranes’ calls are very unusual. It’s a trumpeting, rattling “gar-oo-oo” that can be heard for more than a mile. Sometimes they are flying so high that we can’t see them, but we can still hear their unusual calls and know that they are up there on their way north, following God’s plan for them.
Many of us are expecting to hear another welcome call, and this one will be coming from the sky too. For those of us who belong to the Lord Jesus, He has promised to come again in the clouds and call us home to heaven. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that He will call us with a shout and with the trumpet of God! Won’t that be a wonderful sound? And He might call us home to heaven today! Then we will see our Saviour face-to-face and live in His happy home for all eternity.
But sadly, not everyone will hear the Lord Jesus’ call. There are many boys and girls and grown-ups too who have never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. They will not be included when He calls those who belong to Him to heaven. They will be left behind for God’s judgment.
What about you? Are you expecting to hear that wonderful call that might come any day? It will be such a happy surprise!
ML-06/28/2009