The ability of birds to migrate to distant lands is a great mystery. The Golden Plover flies non-stop for 88 hours over open sea from Alaska to Hawaii a distance of about 4000km. It can’t swim and there’s no island en route. The bird’s starting weight is 200grms of which 70grms are stored as layers of fat for fuel. The journey takes an incredible 250,000 wing beats yet the bird’s fuel consumption is only .6% of the total weight per hour. Strangely, calculations showed that even with this economy birds would crash into the sea a good 800km before reaching Hawaii! Scientists were puzzled but then left gasping when they calculated that the following piece of vital information had been programmed into the birds, “Fly in ‘V’ formation”! This meant they would save 23% of their energy and reach Hawaii safely!

The vast majority of migrating birds would never reach their destination without being first programmed with accurate information. The Plover must know its most economical cruising speed and how much fuel to take on board. It must also be kept on course in variable weather conditions by a sophisticated navigational system. It would be fatal to the species if migration was allowed to come about by trial and error! Add to all these facts the lightweight structure and perfect aerodynamic design of birds, and the evidence for the handiwork of an amazingly brilliant Creator is overwhelming!

Just as birds know instinctively about a country they have never seen, so the vast majority of people feel deep within themselves that there is a country called Heaven. They also have their conscience as a compass that shows them when they are wrong but then makes them happy when they turn from their sins to Christ and find pardon, so that one day they can fly away to heaven! [ John 14:1-6 ]