The V-Formation: The Conduit Of Encouragement To Victory

THE V-FORMATION--- CONDUIT OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO VICTORY…

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

A LITTLE MOUNTAIN COMMON SENSE: Once you pickle a cucumber you can never un-pickle it?

NEVER BE INTIMIDATED, BE ENCOURAGED: GOD HAS A PLAN. GOD IS GREATER…

2 Chronicles 32:6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying, 7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

*ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGEMENT: To take heart, to comfort, to strengthen, to inspire, to give someone support or hope, confidence. A SPIRIT OF HOPE, TO SPUR ON, TO GIVE HELP, FAN THE FLAME, SUPPORT, TO INSPIRE

Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you..

Romans 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

Romans 15:2 (MSG) Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"

Encouragement is more than a suggestion. You can encourage someone with an act of kindness, a kind word, a smile, a pat on the back, a prayer, a card, email.

LET US CONSIDER A QUESTION: DO WE ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER?

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Amos 3:3 (NIV) Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?

Amos 3:3 (MSG) Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren't going to the same DIRECTION?

V-SHAPED FORMATION… GEESE ARE STRONG AS A SKEIN. The V-formation is called a skein.

Do we understand how wonderful God’s creation is? Study has revealed that GEESE fly in a V-shaped formation when they are migrating. This serves several purposes.

The V-formation improves the efficiency over long migratory routes. This formation conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly higher above the bird that is in front of him resulting in a reduction of the wind resistance. Each bird flies in the up wash of wind from the bird in front. Each bird has a reduction of drag and they increase their range by 71%. The birds flying at the tips and front are rotated in a timely cycle way.

The V-formation conserves on the energy and efficiency of energy consumption. As the bird flaps the air rolls off the wing tip and creates a downwash and the air behind it pushes upward. If you observe the flight pattern almost always one side of the V is longer then the V-FORMATION.

THE LEAD BIRD TIRES MORE QUICKLY SO IT ROTATES TO THE BACK OF THE V-FORMATION.

If a goose FALLS OUT OF POSITION in the V-formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance and the goose will quickly return to the proper formation.

WE CAN LEARN MUCH FROM ENCOURAGEMENT IN NATURE. GEESE ON LAND OR IN WATER ARE CALLED A GAGGLE. BUT WHEN GEESE FLY THEY ARE CALLED A SKIEN. WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THE SKIEN? THE V-FORMATION…

*1. GEESE CAN FLY A GREAT DISTANCE BY TEAM WORK… A GROUP OF GEESE ON THE GROUND IS CALLED A GAGGLE. FLYING IN THE AIR THE GEESE ARE CALLED A SKIEN. GANDER IS A MALE, GOOSE IS THE FEMALE. BABIES ARE CALLED GOSLINGS.

*2. GEESE STAY TOGETHER TO PROTECT AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER. WHEN GEESE GROW TIRED AND FLYING GETS HARD, THEIR UNITY SUPPORTS EACH OTHER.

*3. Most birds fly very quietly, but geese honk very loudly to encourage each to keep up their speed and altitude. HONK, HONK? GEESE ARE HELPFUL TO EACH OTHER AND THE SOUNDS THEY MAKE ENCOURAGE OTHERS. THE HONK HELPS KEEP THE GEESE TO FLY AND GIVES A SENSE OF DIRECTION AND CO-ORDINATE POSITION CHANGES.

*4. GEESE ARE VERY LOYAL, THEY MATE FOR LIFE… GEESE ARE PROTECTIVE. OFTEN IF A GOOSE’S MATE DIES THEY REFUSE TO MATE AGAIN.

*5. IN THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER OFTEN MUCH OF THE FLIGHTS ARE AT NIGHT. THE NIGHT IS COOLER AND LONG DISTANCE FLIGHT GEESE TEND TO OVER HEAT. GEESE DON’T SOAR, THEY FLAP TO MAINTAIN DISTANCE, AND SO NIGHT FLIGHT HELPS THE GEESE STAY COOLER.

*6. GEESE LEARN WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER THAN WE ARE SEPERATELY.

*7. WHEN A GOOSE STARTS TO GO DOWN HE MAY BE SICK OR MAYBE WOUNDED. TWO GEESE WILL DROP OUT OF FORMATION AND THEY DESCEND TO FOLLOW THE HURT GOOSE DOWN TO HELP THE SICK GOOSE. THOSE TWO GEESE WILL STAY WITH THE GOOSE UNTIL IT DIES OR GETS BETTER AND ABLE TO FLY. THEN THEY CATCH UP.