Proverbs 30:24-38
Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
hyraxes are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
hyraxes are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
Summer-- a time for picnics. Grilled hot dogs and
burgers, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, baked beans, and chips laid out on a red-checkered
table cloth. Sounds ideal. I enjoy delicious food at an outdoor event and so do
ants. If left to their own accord, the little creatures, one by one, carry
crumbs off to their hills and pack the goodies away for mealtime. They're
smart.
I'd never heard of the hyrax until I read this
verse. They're a chubby guinea pig like mammal with the ability to dig a home in
the rocks they live near. Despite their short legs, they can hollow out a hole to
live in. They know how to meet a challenge.
Locust organize themselves without a leader and
lizards find a way to slink into royal palaces. They're determined.
All of the creatures mentioned in Proverbs 30 are
considered wise. They use the gifts God's given them to survive day-to-day. Our
Father has given each of us gifts. Not just artistic abilities, but life
skills. If a little ant can feed an army and a hyrax can dig a cave in the
rock, I can face each day with Jesus by my side and overcome difficulties and
temptations and use the abilities God's given me to bless others. So often I
sell myself short and forget I'm not in this alone. I'm in it with the creator of
life. Praise God for his gifts and his beautiful creation.