The death of a Snail by a Singing Thrush

I thought recently of the Song Thrushes’ ability to set up what is called an ‘anvil stone’ for the destruction of the shell of the common snail. A Thrush finds a large stone to destroy passing snails.

The thrush spears, with its powerful beak, any snail that silently wanders by its territory. The snail may think that it is encased in a hard, God given, shell for the protection of its life, but to no avail the Thrush with its, God given beak, and ‘anvil stone’ will destroy any attempt of the snail to escape with its life.

Why does God give to the snail protection and the thrush the means to destroy that protection? Well that is an easy question to answer.

All of God’s creation is like a ‘book’, which you and I enter when born and leave when we die. During our lives we read the pages of creation, by observing all that takes place around us. Creation declares many things, and helps us understand what God is like.

The Thrush with its sharp beak, and the snail with its protective shell, are displayed in creation, so that we may understand, that all the life protecting shells we may ware are useless. There is an evil in this world poised to take our life away in a moment; all that we ware will not protect us from the sharp beak of evil. Your safety is to look beyond the ‘shell’ of your own protection, to secure yourself in the safety of the arms of the one who made the Thrush, and the snail. He who powerfully made both: the lance of evil, and the inability of humans to protect themselves, is the one to whom we turn. His name is Jesus.

All have the ability to secure themselves in Him, in His love, and in the One who gave them life. Alternatively they are left to their own efforts, to fight endlessly, for their lives amidst the destructive invisible lance like forces which seek to take away their lives. The Creation which surrounds, and specifically the little part of creation being referred to here in this story; The Thrush and its connection with the common snail, is declaring that there is no safety from the predator, whether evil, human, political, philosophical, or religious. Your safety is only found by looking beyond these things, to your real and only defence –that of the Creator Himself. Jesus is your place of refuge, from the beak of evil; this can fall upon you in a moment, changing all your plans, and destroying you eternally on the ‘anvil stone’. You can protect yourself from most things but evil is different. Only Jesus saves from evil.

Make a choice while you live in God’s ‘book’. One day you will return to Him and be accountable as to how you have understood what was required. The connection between the Thrush and the Snail is made clear when you look beyond the story of ‘the death of a snail by a singing thrush’. We look to Jesus, the one who protects us from evil. Have you noticed the song thrush and the snail in your garden? Look beyond them both and see Jesus. Don’t get lost in the battle for your life, let Jesus save you, and secure you in His arms. You will surely sing for joy.