Safety

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

SAFETY

Prov 27:8

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

NIV

Both the Cuckoo bird and the Brown-headed cow bird will steal another bird’s nest. They actually do not take it, but slip in when the nesting female has laid her eggs and is off finding food. They slip in and lay their eggs, even mimicking the type of egg that is already in the nest so the returning bird will incubate the foreign eggs along with her own. So then there is a danger in straying from her nest. There is also another danger of straying from the nest, which is being in danger of the larger predator birds. The thought also might mean she will not be able to find her way back if she strays too far. When man wanders in the world straying from his home, there too is a danger. When we think of Israel when it wandered for forty years in the wilderness, although it was far from any home it knew, or was used to, the Lord provided it with his home, the tabernacle. They stayed in one place as long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle. They traveled only when the pillar of smoke lead them by day and the pillar of fire by night. Should they have strayed from the place without his leading, danger would have been the result. Surely this is the meaning of this proverb. The idea that a man moving from one place to another happens every day in our society, especially in those places which house military installations. Military personal are being transferred continually throughout their careers. Many others move because of new employment opportunities. Others still simply because of trying to improve their position in life, increasing their net worth by moving upward in their residences. Others might move due to restlessness, tiring  of their current surroundings. All might well be within the realm of doing the right thing. But for the believer, for the person who processes the Lord is the Master of their lives, wandering without his leading is surely a dangerous path to walk. This has been clearly shown to us with the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. Any move, any wandering from home without seeing his guiding light brings us into a dangerous place. This might apply to our physical homes or our spiritual homes, which would be our church home. Changing locations, changing churches, changing anything without the distinct direction of God will end in disaster in some way or another. We have been told, especially when we face the enemy of our soul, to stand firm, to take our stand, when we have done everything to stand our ground. We have been told to stand firm in our faith, to trust God with all our heart. Then why would we change, why would we move to another home, another job, another church unless we have been directly told by God to do so? To stray from the course of our life, to wander from the path he has set before us only leads us down the wrong way. We have been told that we might make our plans, but God orders our footsteps. We might think we have a plan for our lives, but that plan should only be to follow the steps he has ordered. He is the light unto our feet, he shines that light into the darkness just far enough for us to take the next step. We might not be sure where that next step will take us, but for one thing we can be sure, it is where he wants us. When we hear people of the world advise us to have a five year plan, a ten year plan, we can only think how lost their wanderings are. They look to self to determine their path. It is as dangerous as the bird leaving her nest. But we stand firm in the way God has led us and will continue to lead us, as only then can we find the rest for our soul. Only when we stand or move under the direction of the Lord will we be truly content and live in safety.