Learning Valuable Lessons
Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you. . . . Job 12:7
Last week, when I was telling our preschool children a Bible story about friendship, I asked the kids “Who are your friends?”. A little boy said, “My dog is, because Mommy said watching him is teaching me to sit and stay better than anybody.” His answer made me think about many of the devotions that Mo Johnston writes that encourage us to learn valuable lessons about God from observing the amazing animals He has made.
Learn to pay attention to small birds that survive the winter, whitetail deer who have adapted to the loss of habitat and even our beloved pets, who respond to our emotions. These lessons can help us appreciate even more, the people around us and the unique ways God is at work in their lives.
Job was discouraged that his friends were making generalizations about how God worked in the world. They were spouting off ideas that had the appearance of wisdom but had no deep insight into how God could be present in times of deep suffering. Job explained that wisdom isn’t about having the right answers; it’s about being able to notice what God is doing in every circumstance, and seeing how God ultimately controls the outcome of our lives. Even the animals and birds know that much, he said!
Lord Jesus, give us humility to acknowledge that Your creation and amazing creatures can teach us about You, the One who cares for each sparrow. Help us to pay close attention to the people in our lives so that we can recognize Your merciful presence and amazing work in and among us all. Amen.