The Company We Keep | Internet Cafe Devotions

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 NIV

At the end of last month, my family and I (me, hubby, and the two elementary-aged kids) took a short trip about an hour south for our last vacation of summer break. One day we saw the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, a very neat air and space museum. The next day, we went to the Binder Park Zoo (an “animal” zoo).

Feeding giraffes by hand had to have been the most fascinating part of the visit, but for my daughter, nothing charmed her quite as much as a peahen (female peacock, for those unfamiliar with the word) and her three babies who were hanging out, uncaged, in a resting area along the zoo’s path. They were, in her words, “adorable.”

When we first saw them, we knew the adult was a peahen, but as we didn’t know what their babies looked like, we weren’t quite as sure of the species of those cute little birds wandering about and playing/fighting at the peahen’s feet. We first assumed they were quail – they certainly looked like them.

Yet, as we watched, my husband was soon convinced they could be nothing but the peahen’s chicks. And when he explained why, we quickly agreed.

“They must be the peahen’s babies. Look at how close they are staying with her.”

These little creatures wouldn’t have hung out so close, and for so long, to an animal that was not their mother. Once we realized this, there was no doubt in our minds that they were one big happy family.

Can people tell who your Father is by who you spend time with? Though people may not literally see Jesus standing beside you, do they notice your devotion to Him, or your acts of service in His name? Do you talk about Him? Read His Word? Speak with Him? When people see you, do they know you are His?

For that is why we aren’t taken straight to Heaven when we get saved. We are to stay here and help others to know Him. And the only way they will know God is our Father is if they can look at us and think, “They must be God’s children. Look at how close they are staying to Him.”

Joanne Sher

Joanne Sher is a Jew by birth, a Christian by rebirth, and a writer by gift. A native Southern Californian, she now lives happily in West Michigan with her husband and two school-aged children. Her first book, still seeking a home, explores God's preparation, protection and provision through her husband's serious health issues. She is also working on a biblical fiction set during King Saul's reign and centered around the handmaiden of Saul's daughter Michal. She is also a blogger, not only at her own site, but at The FaithWriters blog. She also posts monthly at The Barn Door and Jewels of Encouragement.