“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Matthew 13:15

Walking into my daughter’s kitchen, the view through her sliding glass door revealed an unusual sight. Standing on the outside, looking in, were 7 chickens… all of differing sizes and colors. Not being a chicken guy, I didn’t really know WHY they were standing there, since they have their very own fancy, custom built coop to live in. But there they stood… on the outside looking in!

Cori has been raising chickens for years, and while there are only 7 of them, the low numbers do NOT reflect the amount of work it takes to keep them. Whether 7 or 70… chickens need to be kept, fed and cared for. They provide some amusing and interesting entertainment through their daily routine, along with their main purpose… eggs! But like people, they can be both dumb AND cool!

It was dusk when we were ready to leave, AND time for the chickens to go back into their coop. We followed Cori out, wanting to see how she’d get them in there. Curious, I wondered… would she whistle? Call? Cluck? Reaching for a bag, the chickens INSTANTLY ran to her feet, then followed her to the coop. When she threw mealworms from the bag onto the floor, they GALLOPED right in.

The epiphany hit me as the chickens scratched around looking for worms. They HAD been at the glass door because, beside it was where Cori kept the mealworms. They weren’t there because they adored their owner! They wanted WORMS! Sadly, I realized I was looking at the perfect metaphor for the lost of this world.

God created the perfect coop for man’s future. In Eden, no luxury was spared the stomach or eye of man… except for the fruit of 1 tree! And that, just to give them the chance to love Him in return. Sadly, it only took 1 taste to sidetrack mankind for eternity. Even more sadly, after God provided the perfect way for man to get BACK to Him through His son Jesus Christ, men still prefer worms!

How sad it is to watch people fight and scratch for wormy things instead of the real, abundant life Jesus offers to ANYONE who will choose Him over everything else. Tasting worms, and liking it, also produces heartless people who will do ANYTHING to their peers to get more. I thank God that He has provided me with a life filled with MUCH more than wormy things. How about you?

Are you standing on the outside looking in? God wants you IN!