11. The Stork – Bird of Judgment

“The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times...but my people know not the judgment of the Lord”

(Jeremiah 8:7)

Image: © AarinFreePhoto.com

We have now come to the last in our series on ‘Birds of the Bible’. And the message we have this time is really the last great message of the Bible. It is this. Jesus Christ is coming again! In the final chapter of the Bible Jesus speaks from heaven and says, “Surely I come quickly” (Rev.22:20). The same Saviour who at his first coming was “despised and rejected of men” will one day soon return with great power and glory. This day has been fixed from all eternity.

God has appointed every event in his creation. He governs all that he has made. We have already mentioned the migration of birds as a remarkable example of this. The stork, as we learn from our text, is a migrating bird. It seems to know just when it must fly away to Africa to escape the severe weather of winter, and when it must return again to begin breeding in the spring. It happens like clockwork each year! The White Stork, a large, heron-like bird with a long red bill, once bred in Britain and still visits countries like Germany and the Netherlands. The stork is a bird which always keeps its appointments.

Do you know that there are two great appointments which we must all keep too? We do not know exactly when they will be, but we shall keep them nonetheless. We shall not miss them or be late for them, as we sometimes can be. What are these appointments?

The first appointment is death. The Bible says, “It is appointed unto men once to die” (Heb.9:27). Like the stork flying away for the winter, when we die our soul will fly away from its home within our body and go to God. Death is God’s payment to us for our sin. Adam was warned by God that he would die when he ate the forbidden fruit (Gen.2:17). When he sinned his soul died immediately, meaning that he no longer knew God. His body died many years later when his soul departed this world.

The second appointment is judgment. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. Like the stork returning to its nest, at the resurrection our soul will return to our body, and we shall then be judged by God. Though God takes note of our sins from day to day a final judgment is also promised to us.

The Lord Jesus Christ is to return to this world as the Judge of all the earth. He will sit upon a great white throne. We will stand before his judgment seat and give account of ourselves to God (Rom.14:10,12). Every one of our thoughts, words and deeds has been recorded by him. Jesus will “judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth” (Psa.96:13). He will pass sentence upon every man, woman, boy and girl. Our eternal destiny will be either heaven or hell.

The great thing about the judgment day is that we already know what the verdict will be! God has told us in the Bible that our destiny then depends on what we do with his dear Son now. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). Dear friend, the most important thing I can ever tell you is that you are a sinner and that you must repent of all your sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died at Calvary to save the perishing!

Sadly many do not take note of God’s warnings. They do not heed the punishments which the Lord sends upon the wicked in this life. They do not listen to God’s Word, which is the only standard of right and wrong and which tells us to “flee from the wrath to come” (Matt.3:7). And especially they do not turn to Jesus Christ seeking God’s pardon for their sins. This is true even of many who attend church. God complains of them, “my people know not the judgment of the Lord”.

There is an interesting thing about the stork. It is known as the “pious bird”, because of its great affection and tenderness. The parent birds care for their young when they are growing up, and the young birds care for their parents when they are aged. This is how we should live, and how we will live, if God’s grace has entered our lives. When we know the lovingkindness of the Lord, forgiving us all our sins, then we will show kindness to others.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt.5:7). The judgment day is a day of mercy for the believer. It is not what we deserve. We truly deserve to go to hell for our sins. Yet on that day Jesus will say these wonderful words to his people; “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt.25:34).

The stork knows her appointed times – but do you know yours? Be wise and think on these things. Do not neglect God’s so great salvation. Pray with all your heart that God would make you ready for the great judgment day!