Dear Boys and Girls,
We have seven feeding stations for all the birds, and it takes me a little while to make the rounds every day to refill them. We have many different colored birds that return to the feeders every morning, through the day and every evening. We feed them twice a day. At this time of year, we also put out corn for the wild geese and ducks, which arrived back in March from their long flights from warmer climates where they spent the winter. So Gramma and I have a wonderful time watching and feeding these beautiful birds that our God in heaven has created for all of us to enjoy.
It was 6:30 in the morning, and I had just come back from putting food in all our bird feeding stations. I watched for a moment or two as a red-winged blackbird was enjoying his breakfast. As the blackbird moved around the feeder to get a better place for more seed, he bumped into a northern oriole that also was eating seeds. So guess what . . . they started to fight with each other over the food! Wow!
Were they greedy? Were they not satisfied with their positions on the feeder? I don’t know. I’m guessing they were only thinking about themselves and not willing to share! Hmmmm, I’ve known boys and girls who’ve acted like that too, and there are grown-ups who’ve also acted that way. That’s called being selfish, and being selfish can lead to other sins.
In the Bible we read about two people who owned a piece of property they wanted to sell. They made a promise to God that they would give Him all the money they sold the property for. But when they were asked how much they sold it for, they lied! These two people not only were selfish, but even worse, they lied. They must have forgotten what God had told Moses to write in Leviticus 19:1111Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. (Leviticus 19:11): “[You] shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.” They also forgot that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:33The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)). These two people died immediately for their sin of lying. You can read this story in Acts 5:1-101But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (Acts 5:1‑10).
Children, when the Lord Jesus was hanging on the cross, He was doing it for you and me, because we are sinners and He loves us. And when those hours of darkness were over, He cried with a loud voice, “It is finished” (John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)). He had just won a mighty victory over sin. And He did that for you and me! It is through His precious blood that can wash away our sins that the door to heaven can be open for us. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). He gave up His life to pay for the sins of any sinner who will believe in Him. Can you say from your heart, “Jesus died for me”?
Lots of love,
Grampa and Gramma
ML-10/12/2014