Cuckoo In the Nest

Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor. Charles Spurgeon

Impostor definition: a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain.

I found a website that gives meanings of various sayings.  I ran across the saying “cuckoo in the nest.”  Since I am the curious sort, I decided to read more about the cuckoo.

The cuckoo is kind of a lazy bird.  It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.  God made some amazing things when he made birds.  The cuckoo will wait until the right moment, (I would say when the neighbors aren’t home), then she will break into another nest, kick one of the eggs out and then lay her own egg in its place.  The thing is she will sometimes visit up to 50 homes (i.e. nests) and lay 50 eggs. Another interesting thing is the cuckoo adapts its egg to look like the other eggs in the nest so that others will raise its young. 

So the cuckoo egg hatches before the others and proceeds to push some of the other eggs out of the nest.  The other odd thing is the cuckoo is about 3 times bigger than its foster parent. The cuckoo chick also mimics the call of the foster parent’s chicks, thereby camouflaging that it is an impostor.  So the cuckoo, using vocalization, tricks its foster parent into thinking this big buzzard in its nest is just like the others.  It needs this because otherwise the foster parents would be distracted by its unusually large size compared to its other offspring.

So what does this have to do with God.  Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of preachers and teachers of God’s Word out there who are not what they seem?  They look good on the outside and they say the things we want to hear, but some of them are just like the cuckoo.  Impostors.  If we aren’t careful we can be start thinking they are speaking truth.  We need to remember that Satan is the best impostor of all.  He can disguise himself in more ways than we can imagine and if we are not careful we will buy into the fact that he is a warbler like all the other warblers instead of a cuckoo.  The only way we are going to determine the real deal is to study God’s Word.  If anything someone tells you goes against God’s Word, you can bet it’s a cuckoo.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, help me to dig deeply into Your Word for truth.  There are so many impostors in our world.  Many are impersonating Christians and are in the business of bringing the downfall of others. Help me to discern the truth and to always use it as my measuring stick.  I praise You for showing me the truth through study and diligently seeking You. 

    

Scripture: Shepherd the Flock

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 5:1-11