{"id":46006,"date":"2021-04-23T11:50:46","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T08:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=46006"},"modified":"2025-05-16T22:18:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T19:18:03","slug":"the-stork-in-the-sky-knows-her-appointed-seasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2021\/04\/23\/the-stork-in-the-sky-knows-her-appointed-seasons\/","title":{"rendered":"THE STORK IN THE SKY KNOWS HER APPOINTED SEASONS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jeremiah <\/span>8:<\/span>7 (<\/span>ESV)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Even <\/span>the <\/span>stork <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>heavens <\/span>knows <\/span>her <\/span>times, <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>turtledove, <\/span>swallow, <\/span>and <\/span>crane <\/span>keep <\/span>the <\/span>time <\/span>of <\/span>their <\/span>coming, <\/span>but <\/span>my <\/span>people <\/span>know <\/span>not <\/span>the <\/span>rules <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Lord.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nature <\/span>often <\/span>teaches <\/span>us <\/span>lessons <\/span>that <\/span>we, <\/span>in <\/span>our <\/span>spiritual <\/span>blindness, <\/span>fail <\/span>to <\/span>grasp. <\/span>In <\/span>Jeremiah <\/span>8:<\/span>7, <\/span>God <\/span>uses <\/span>birds\u2014<\/span>creatures <\/span>without <\/span>human <\/span>reasoning\u2014<\/span>to <\/span>expose <\/span>the <\/span>spiritual <\/span>ignorance <\/span>of <\/span>His <\/span>people. <\/span>Birds <\/span>like <\/span>the <\/span>stork, <\/span>swallow, <\/span>and <\/span>crane <\/span>instinctively <\/span>discern <\/span>the <\/span>changing <\/span>seasons <\/span>and <\/span>migrate <\/span>accordingly <\/span>for <\/span>their <\/span>survival. <\/span>They <\/span>know <\/span>when <\/span>winter <\/span>approaches <\/span>and <\/span>leave <\/span>their <\/span>habitats <\/span>to <\/span>seek <\/span>warmer <\/span>climates, <\/span>sometimes <\/span>flying <\/span>thousands <\/span>of <\/span>miles <\/span>to <\/span>regions <\/span>like <\/span>Africa <\/span>or <\/span>parts <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>southern <\/span>hemisphere. <\/span>After <\/span>the <\/span>cold <\/span>subsides, <\/span>they <\/span>return <\/span>home <\/span>and <\/span>continue <\/span>with <\/span>life <\/span>as <\/span>normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>winters <\/span>in <\/span>places <\/span>like <\/span>Europe <\/span>can <\/span>be <\/span>deadly, <\/span>with <\/span>temperatures <\/span>so <\/span>low <\/span>they <\/span>turn <\/span>water <\/span>to <\/span>solid <\/span>ice. <\/span>Human <\/span>beings <\/span>cannot <\/span>endure <\/span>the <\/span>cold <\/span>without <\/span>proper <\/span>shelter <\/span>and <\/span>heating, <\/span>let <\/span>alone <\/span>birds <\/span>with <\/span>delicate <\/span>bodies. <\/span>If <\/span>these <\/span>birds <\/span>remained <\/span>in <\/span>such <\/span>conditions, <\/span>their <\/span>nests <\/span>would <\/span>freeze, <\/span>and <\/span>they <\/span>would <\/span>perish. <\/span>But <\/span>because <\/span>they <\/span>perceive <\/span>the <\/span>times, <\/span>they <\/span>move. <\/span>This <\/span>survival <\/span>strategy <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>born <\/span>of <\/span>intelligence <\/span>like <\/span>ours, <\/span>but <\/span>of <\/span>divine <\/span>instinct.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, <\/span>God <\/span>laments <\/span>that <\/span>His <\/span>people<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>gifted <\/span>with <\/span>reason <\/span>and <\/span>spiritual <\/span>insight, <\/span>fail <\/span>to <\/span>discern <\/span>the <\/span>spiritual <\/span>seasons <\/span>He <\/span>has <\/span>appointed. <\/span>We <\/span>don\u2019t <\/span>recognize <\/span>the <\/span>time <\/span>of <\/span>God\u2019s <\/span>mercy, <\/span>nor <\/span>the <\/span>impending <\/span>season <\/span>of <\/span>His <\/span>judgment. <\/span>We <\/span>live <\/span>as <\/span>though <\/span>grace <\/span>will <\/span>last <\/span>forever, <\/span>assuming <\/span>the <\/span>gospel <\/span>will <\/span>always <\/span>be <\/span>freely <\/span>preached, <\/span>that <\/span>the <\/span>doors <\/span>of <\/span>salvation <\/span>will <\/span>always <\/span>be <\/span>open.<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>Scripture <\/span>warns <\/span>us <\/span>otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus <\/span>said <\/span>in <\/span>Revelation <\/span>22:<\/span>10\u2013<\/span>12 (<\/span>ESV):<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>Do <\/span>not <\/span>seal <\/span>up <\/span>the <\/span>words <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>prophecy <\/span>of <\/span>this <\/span>book, <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>time <\/span>is <\/span>near. <\/span>Let <\/span>the <\/span>evildoer <\/span>still <\/span>do <\/span>evil, <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>filthy <\/span>still <\/span>be <\/span>filthy, <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>righteous <\/span>still <\/span>do <\/span>right, <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>holy <\/span>still <\/span>be <\/span>holy. <\/span>Behold, <\/span>I <\/span>am <\/span>coming <\/span>soon, <\/span>bringing <\/span>my <\/span>recompense <\/span>with <\/span>me, <\/span>to <\/span>repay <\/span>each <\/span>one <\/span>for <\/span>what <\/span>he <\/span>has <\/span>done.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>merely <\/span>an <\/span>invitation <\/span>anymore\u2014<\/span>it <\/span>is <\/span>a <\/span>declaration <\/span>of <\/span>finality. <\/span>The <\/span>time <\/span>for <\/span>persuasion <\/span>is <\/span>fading; <\/span>now <\/span>is <\/span>the <\/span>time <\/span>for <\/span>confirmation. <\/span>Christ <\/span>is <\/span>coming <\/span>back <\/span>soon, <\/span>and <\/span>He <\/span>will <\/span>repay <\/span>each <\/span>person <\/span>according <\/span>to <\/span>their <\/span>deeds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many <\/span>signs <\/span>indicate <\/span>we <\/span>are <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>end <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>age: <\/span>pandemics <\/span>like <\/span>COVID-<\/span>19, <\/span>intensifying <\/span>natural <\/span>disasters, <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>rise <\/span>of <\/span>false <\/span>prophets <\/span>and <\/span>deceptive <\/span>spiritual <\/span>movements. <\/span>These <\/span>are <\/span>not <\/span>random <\/span>events\u2014<\/span>they <\/span>are <\/span>prophetic <\/span>indicators.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus <\/span>rebuked <\/span>His <\/span>generation <\/span>for <\/span>failing <\/span>to <\/span>recognize <\/span>the <\/span>spiritual <\/span>significance <\/span>of <\/span>their <\/span>time:<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke <\/span>12:<\/span>54\u2013<\/span>56 (<\/span>ESV):<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>He <\/span>also <\/span>said <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>crowds, \u2018<\/span>When <\/span>you <\/span>see <\/span>a <\/span>cloud <\/span>rising <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>west, <\/span>you <\/span>say <\/span>at <\/span>once, \u201c<\/span>A <\/span>shower <\/span>is <\/span>coming.\u201d <\/span>And <\/span>so <\/span>it <\/span>happens. <\/span>And <\/span>when <\/span>you <\/span>see <\/span>the <\/span>south <\/span>wind <\/span>blowing, <\/span>you <\/span>say, \u201c<\/span>There <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>scorching <\/span>heat,\u201d <\/span>and <\/span>it <\/span>happens. <\/span>You <\/span>hypocrites! <\/span>You <\/span>know <\/span>how <\/span>to <\/span>interpret <\/span>the <\/span>appearance <\/span>of <\/span>earth <\/span>and <\/span>sky, <\/span>but <\/span>why <\/span>do <\/span>you <\/span>not <\/span>know <\/span>how <\/span>to <\/span>interpret <\/span>the <\/span>present <\/span>time?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If <\/span>we <\/span>can <\/span>predict <\/span>the <\/span>weather, <\/span>prepare <\/span>our <\/span>farms <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>rainy <\/span>season, <\/span>and <\/span>even <\/span>relocate <\/span>from <\/span>flood-<\/span>prone <\/span>areas\u2014<\/span>why <\/span>do <\/span>we <\/span>ignore <\/span>the <\/span>spiritual <\/span>warnings <\/span>all <\/span>around <\/span>us? <\/span>How <\/span>can <\/span>we <\/span>allow <\/span>birds <\/span>like <\/span>the <\/span>stork <\/span>to <\/span>outmatch <\/span>us <\/span>in <\/span>wisdom?<\/span><\/p>\n

Now <\/span>is <\/span>the <\/span>time <\/span>to <\/span>wake <\/span>up <\/span>from <\/span>spiritual <\/span>slumber. <\/span>God\u2019s <\/span>judgment <\/span>is <\/span>near. <\/span>If <\/span>you <\/span>are <\/span>still <\/span>outside <\/span>the <\/span>ark <\/span>of <\/span>salvation\u2014<\/span>Jesus <\/span>Christ\u2014<\/span>run <\/span>to <\/span>Him <\/span>now. <\/span>Surrender <\/span>with <\/span>your <\/span>whole <\/span>heart. <\/span>This <\/span>world <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>our <\/span>home, <\/span>and <\/span>it <\/span>will <\/span>not <\/span>last. <\/span>Heaven <\/span>and <\/span>earth <\/span>will <\/span>pass <\/span>away, <\/span>but <\/span>the <\/span>words <\/span>of <\/span>Jesus <\/span>will <\/span>remain <\/span>forever (<\/span>Matthew <\/span>24:<\/span>35).<\/span><\/p>\n

Heaven <\/span>is <\/span>real\u2014<\/span>and <\/span>so <\/span>is <\/span>hell. <\/span>The <\/span>choice <\/span>is <\/span>yours.<\/span><\/strong>
Maranatha\u2014<\/span>Come, <\/span>Lord <\/span>Jesus.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n