Moved by the Video

The video tells the story of how a man had rescued and cleaned up a penguin covered in oil. In return, the penguin regularly comes back to visit the man, loving him, and rejoicing every time he did so.

We have seen many animal videos like this before, with beautiful stories that pull on the heart strings, but this time it was different. Rob suddenly broke down in tears. The only person that I have ever known to make my husband cry out of the blue like this, is the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit up to?

Sure enough, in among the sobs and tears, I heard Rob say, "This is the kind of relationship God had in mind for us to have with animals - in the beginning - before it was all ruined by the fall of man."

Now, I'm sure that many who have seen this video would just think it was a lovely story, but it appears that the Holy Spirit has given Rob more than that, He has given Rob an insight into God's mind, and placed a message in Rob's heart. (Incidentally, just last week, Rob received a prophesy in which his heart was described to be "as soft as a marshmallow". It seems that now this is coming to pass).

As I thought about the video, my spirit concurred with what Rob said. The video does indeed give us a glimpse of God's original intention for our relationship with animals. How privileged we are to have seen this in the story of the man and the penguin (named Din Din). God is so gracious that now and again He would give us rare revelations of His mind through stories like this.

A Message of Love and Salvation

As Rob and I talked back and forth about the video, a beautiful message of salvation started to emerge in our conversation (perfectly timed for Easter). Indeed,

• • Just as the penguin (Din Din) was covered thick in oil, so were we covered thick in our sins.

  • Just as that oil would have killed Din Din (he was said to be near death), so would our sins eventually kill us.

  • But the man, out of love and concern, took Din Din into his care, washed him, cleaned him up, and nursed him back to health, thereby giving him the chance to live; rescuing him from death. Similarly with Jesus, out of His love and concern for us, He took us into His care, cleaned us up by washing us in His blood, nursed us from all the hurt, pain and suffering that our sins have caused us in the past, giving us the chance to live an abundant life on earth, and an eternal life after, rescuing us from death.

Mark 2:17

Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

More Astounding Messages

The message does not end there:

• See how Din Din loves the man! You can see and feel the immense gratitude in every loving peck he gives to the man. That is how God wants us to love Him, with an indebted heart of praise and thanksgiving; rejoicing every time we are in His presence.

• Din Din would travel out to another place to be with other penguins, but we can see that Din Din must keep the man in his heart and mind all the time he's away, because he always comes back to the man to spend time with him in love and gratitude. How true this must also be for us. As we live our lives in the world, doing our jobs and duties, so must we always keep God in our minds and hearts, and seek times when we can be with Him.

• The man said that even if there were thousands of other penguins, Din Din would hear his voice when he calls and would come to him. How very true! Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Jesus knows us all personally and calls us out by our names (John 10:3-4).

In the beginning, God intended for us to have a loving, intimate relationship with Him (just like Din Din and the man). As it was ruined by the fall, Jesus Christ came to restore that relationship by dying on the cross for us - His life for ours - so that we can be reconciled to our Father God. Therefore, let Din Din be our inspiration in the way we love our Triune God in return: unconditionally, with respect, gratitude, and an indebted heart; rejoicing every time we are with Him! Oh, what joy - as I picture us waddling towards our Father whose arms are wide open, ready to receive and to love us, just as He has from the very beginning of time.

Scriptures

Mark 12:30

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

1 John 4:19

We love because he first loved us.

Psalm 16:11

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

John 10:27-30

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

John 10:1-3

¹ ... anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

© Elma Larsen. All rights reserved.