Gone Astray

Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. (NKJV)

One of our grandsons, Bryan, who lives here in our town, has pigeons, just like I used to have before we moved into town. I had homing pigeons (homers) but he has fancy pigeons. They are not flyers like mine were but rather just birds to look at, look after, and enjoy. His two little children love them as well.

In June, a friend of his called to tell him that he had caught a banded homer in his shed. It was fatigued and unable to fly. It had both an identification ring and a racing band for the year 2021. Bryan took it home and put it in his loft, gave it water, and fed it his good pigeon feed. After a few days, it perked up and regained its strength.

He contacted the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union, and they told him who was the owner of the band and the pigeon. He contacted the gentleman, who told him that he had sold it to someone about 160 kilometres southeast of here, who did not re-register the bird. Together with many other homers, the bird had been taken to a race in northern Ontario, Canada, some 900 kilometres from its loft. It had crossed Georgian Bay but had gone astray, possibly blown off course by a storm, chased by a hawk, or having joined a group flying in the wrong direction. It had ended up in our area, some 200 kilometres off course.

Isn't that the way it is in our spiritual lives as well? At times, we lose our way; there are temptations to go the wrong way all around us. Our emotional or spiritual direction may shift with the winds of fortune or disaster. The storms in our lives may cause us to lose our way.

However, the Bible tells us "that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting." (Ephesians 4:14 NKJV)

Bryan looked after the pigeon for a week or so. When it was in good shape again, he put a band with his phone number on it and released it. He had no way of knowing whether it arrived home safely. Similarly, we can tell people about our faith and point them in the right direction, but whether they arrive "home" in heaven safely, we may never know, for that is in the Lord's hands.

The one thing that we can count on, when danger is all around us, when we are caught up in the storms of life, or when we are tempted by bad influence all around us, is that God is with us, and He will lead us safely home.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we thank You that whatever situation may confront us, You are always with us to guide us and give us comfort and lead us safely home. We thank You in Jesus' name. Amen.

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