I witnessed a single goose standing outside the park gates yesterday while the flock was feeding on the grass inside the gates. I thought about that lone goose and realized he was keeping watch, standing guard for the others so that they could eat safely.
Being the guardsman is a lonely position. While he stands alone, kicking up dust, as the others enjoy the harvest, I wonder if he is thinking, “When will it be my turn?”
We all need a guard goose or someone who is willing to sacrifice so that we can safely enjoy life. Who is your guard goose? It could be your parent, your spouse or if you living in a free country than you could pause to thank the military who stand watch over our borders and boundaries.
There are so many who sacrifice to secure the areas where we live, work, play and eat. Whether it is the guard goose or the military man or woman, we should never take those watchmen for granted.
Sometimes even having the watchman on duty doesn’t mean you are totally protected. We need to be careful at all times lest someone slips through the gates undetected. It can be a deceiving sense of security when you rely totally on something else to protect you. Even the best of sentries will have distractions and before you know it, the enemy can arrive undetected.
I have a friend who has a guard dog and she has a false sense of security. One day, the dog failed to bark at my arrival (he knows me and simply wagged his tail). I finally yelled, “Hey, you in there?” She came out startled and said, “Why didn’t the dog bark?” I could have said, “Even the best guard dogs will let you down eventually.”
Nehemiah, 7:3,
“Do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day. And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes.”
Source:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah+7&version=NIV
and
The geese at the City Park