Alfred Hitchcock’s has nothing on God when it comes to birds. In Jeremiah 16 the birds along with the beast of the earth will feed on the dead bodies left in Jerusalem. However, In Revelation 19 the birds are the ones that feast on the dead from the battle Armageddon. Can you imagine how many birds would be there? The Bible says that an angel gathers the birds from all over to that plain.
The reason for the birds clean up on the land is the same in both instances. Man chose to live life his way and reject God’s way. Just like in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit that God told them not to, causing suffering and death to enter into the world.
When we follow our own way we make a choice for death, eternal separation from God. However, by deciding to follow God and His ways we receive life. Jesus said in John 10:10 AMP,
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
The Greek word for abundance is perissos — exceeding abundantly above, beyond measure, more abundantly, advantage, exceedingly, very highly.
Perissos is also used in Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV,
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
This is basically the definition of John 10:10 by Paul. Note, that he isn’t talking about physical things here but the spiritual life, what Jesus came to give. The abundant life is found in the love of Christ. Our problem is this thing called time and space. We have a hard time letting go of the past and stepping out in faith and trust that God knows what is best for us in the future. We stand on one side of God’s great love, a love so vast we can’t wrap our minds around it. We stand there like a little child on the monkey bars, hanging on to the one behind us and the one in front, afraid to let go of the one behind and take the swing to the next bar because of the fear of falling and getting hurt. Not moving on into the abundant life Jesus has for us. We have powerless not knowing the perissos of life. We have the power of His Spirit to make it across the monkey bars if we would let go of the past and move forward.
Sometimes we want to go back to the old way of life which leads to death because it was comfortable. Look at the Children of Israel as they wondered the wilderness. They just walked through the Red Sea and quickly wanted to go back to the life of slavery because it was easier, there were leeks and onions to eat. They were still holding on to the past and not reach out to the unmeasurable love of God and His plan for them. Because they trusted what 10 of the spies said and not what God said. They all died, except Joshua and Caleb the only spies who wanted to follow what God said to do. They were the only two of their generation that entered into the Promise Land.
Are you living the perissos life or holding on to the past living a half-dead life?
(Photo by Barth Bailey on Unsplash)
Bonnie Sue Writes 