It was a cold January morning when I first noticed a crow in the field. I was driving out of the driveway on an errand in town. Returning about 30 minutes later, and seeing two crows at that same spot made me wonder what was attracting them. The road passed close by the crows, so I tried to see what they were doing as I drove past. I passed so quickly that it was difficult to get a good look, but it appeared that the crows were playing with a black ball about the size of a tennis ball! It looked like they were letting it roll down a glassy smooth band crusted with snow.
Although they did not fly away when my car passed, I knew that stopping would scare them, so I continued up the hill to the house. I quickly found my binoculars and hurried to a window where I could watch them. Still having lots of fun, they would allow the ball to start rolling down the slope. Once it started moving each bird would try to stop or deflect it with their wings, beak or claws. As soon as it passed the crown of the slope and rolled too fast, one crow would fly up a few feet, drop into the little gully, pick up the ball in his claws, and carry it back to the starting place.
I watched them go through this routine several times before a boy and his dog coming along the road frightened them. The boy was able to get quite close to the crows before he was spotted, because they were so busy playing.
After the boy and his dog passed I waited to see if the crows would return. When they didn’t, I walked over to the gully near the road to see if the ball had been left behind. It was gone. But across the hard-packed snow were crow footprints and little tracks where the ball had rolled down. When the crows left they made sure to take their “game ball” with them. I wonder where they keep it?
God’s creatures thrill and entertain us in so many different ways. These two crows were playing a game, completely occupied with it, and so were not as watchful as they should have been. We can smile when we think of how funny they looked playing with a ball.
But it also reminds us of something that is not at all funny. Many people today are so occupied with the world, its “fun and games,” that they don’t see the danger coming. Satan has “blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ... should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:44In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The Lord Jesus loves you and wants you to be saved. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). He died on the cross for sinners. The Bible says that we are all sinners and that the only way that we can be saved is by accepting the Lord Jesus as our Saviour.
Each of you reading this should ask yourself if you are saved. Be honest about it. Do you know the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour, or are you so concerned and busy with everyday things that you just keep putting it off? Please do not put it off any longer, because there is danger coming for you if you are not saved. The Lord is soon going to close the door of salvation that is wide open now. When that door is closed it will be too late to be saved. Look up and see that there is safety in Christ and His work on the cross. If you continue to be so busy with other things, you may end up lost forever.
ML-03/21/1982