MUSINGS

“Give Heed to Thyself” A sparrow was busily feeding its baby with crumbs on the lawn. Then it flew off out of sight. The young bird, its wings fluttering, chirped plaintively, but its mother did not return. What happened then? The little bird began pecking at the crumbs for itself.

Perhaps the parent knew it was time that lesson was learnt—the lesson of not being entirely dependent on others, of waking up to the reality that each must learn to take care of himself.

As believers we must learn this. We owe much to others. How thankful we are for those who teach and exhort us, for those who pray for us, and for those who set us an example of what a christian should be; but unless we learn to take care of ourselves we shall be in real danger and will not grow and become strong. It is my responsibility to read, to get some spiritual food, each day, to pray, and to keep near to the Lord in self-judgment as to anything that would damage my soul. So we have such practical advice from Paul to Timothy as—“Give thyself to reading”; “Give heed to thyself and to the teaching”; “Keep thyself pure”; then,

“Keep yourselves in the love of God”, Jude 21, and “Pray unceasingly”, 1 Thessalonians 5: 17.

That mother bird did come back, and I think she found her young one a little more mature and self-supporting than before.

FCM

Published by F. C. Mutton, 22 Christchurch Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4QY, England Printed by C. Ellis, Billericay, Essex, England