My sparrows are back! I know I could have put out bird seed a long time ago, and drawn them in, but if I did that, then I would be feeding the squirrels as well as my dog. (Yes, my stupid dog loves bird feed.) Squirrels are cute, but they're also destructive. Once they find a way into your attic, they never leave. I know I'm sounding like an old curmudgeon, but I don't love squirrels. However, I do enjoy my sparrows, and I would love to feed them, especially during the winter. So, I have a dilemma, feed the sparrows and squirrels, or let the sparrows fend for themselves.
My neighbor feeds the squirrels. For the longest of time he had three bird feeders placed throughout his yard, and they were all designed to prevent squirrels from getting to them. They don't work! The squirrels violate every known law of physics and end up gobbling up the bird seed before the birds can get to it. To say the least, he has the fattest squirrels on the block. They don't even bother to come into my yard. Why should they? They get everything they need next door. This isn't unique to my neighbor, though. My dad lives out in the country, and he feeds the birds, the squirrels, deer, racoons, bears, and probably a host of other animals we don't even know about. He's tried different ways to keep the deer out of his feeder, but when they want the feed, they just knock the feeder over. Racoons are like squirrels, they violate every law of physics to get to what they want.
So, what does bird feed have to do with grace? Everything!
I've been doing a lot of study into grace for our Men's Group and have come to an amazing revelation about God's grace. It flows! It's like my neighbor who feeds the birds, and the squirrels. My neighbor wants to bless the sparrows, so he shows them grace by feeding them birdseed. The sparrows don't work, or do anything special to deserve his favor, but he feeds them anyway. He is gracious, they are blessed. So are the squirrels. Whether he wants to or not, he's feeding the squirrels, and continues to do so. God's grace is the same way. His favor is extended to those who believe in Jesus Christ, but that favor ends up blessing the entire world. This favor through Jesus the Messiah was originally extended to Abraham. God wanted to show Abraham favor, and in so doing He blessed the entire world. We're not even told why He showed favor to Abraham except for something about Abraham having faith in God. God explained the rules of grace when He said "Those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed." There is a correlation between God's favor to the children of Abraham and that favor extending out to every nation. Not only does the favor extend out, but it flows through time. Grace flows from the throne of God to those He favors, and ends up blessing everything, and everyone. It is expressed in Christian neighborhoods, and outwards to villages, cities, states, and nations.
In today's world there is an open hostility toward people of faith, and if it continues unabated, mankind will be judged by their own stupidity. God won't judge them, they'll judge themselves. The end of the world won't come because God gets angry at mankind, He's already been there, and done that. God isn't mean like us. He isn't going to have to kill anyone or wreak terrible plagues on mankind. He will simply stop the flow of grace. His first act of grace was to save Noah and his family. His second attempt to show favor to mankind was through Abraham. His last attempt was Jesus Christ. When mankind attempts to destroy all vestiges of God by destroying the Church, God's favor will end, because there will be no reason for Him to keep feeding the sparrows. All you have to do is look at the history of mankind to know that what I'm telling you is the truth. In every country that used to be 'Christian' but eventually drove it away through persecution, that country quickly fell into ruin. Every nation that persecuted or cursed the Jewish people was destroyed. Everywhere Judaism and Christianity are allowed to flourish, that nation will flourish as well as those around it. Christians aren't special, and like Abraham, the only reason God shows us favor is because of our faith. Christians aren't smarter, more inventive than anyone else, we're just favored because we believe. It's simple, but then again simple things confound the intellectual elites who dismiss God. It's too easy to be like the greedy squirrels, and believe that your own ingenuity is the reason for the birdseed. This is where we seem to be at in America today.
I've been heartbroken to watch our great nation become more antagonistic toward people of faith. In the process, I've watched as pestilence has increased, not to mention the unending onslaught of storms, fires, and natural disasters. In those states that are governed by socialist ideologues, the destruction is even more rampant. Where Christianity is mocked, regulated, or even legislated out of the way, the door to disaster is flung wide open. God isn't doing it! The unbelievers are doing it to themselves! He simply is not showing favor because they've driven the believers away. Grace stops flowing.
What made me realize this was watching my neighbor pull down his feeders at the beginning of the summer. (Maybe that's why my sparrows disappeared.) He told me that he got tired of feeding the squirrels. About a week ago I noticed he put a new feeder up in the front yard, which explains why my little friends are coming back. On the other hand, if you drive away the sparrows, why is there a need for birdseed. The descent into famine begins in a famine of the soul. God's favor simply stops flowing. His grace stops flowing. The stinking squirrels mess everything up. Grace is in all I see, but someday God will not have anyone to show favor to, and then the end of the world will come. I don't want that to happen, but it will because we've been told it will.
In order to understand God's grace, maybe I will put up a feeder. I know the squirrels will benefit from it, but I really want to bless my sparrows. I've missed them this summer, and the squirrels aren't all bad.
