Here’s a gift from scripture this morning in the form of an extremely practical bundle of wisdom from Solomon:
There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
Ants — they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.
Hyraxes (rock badgers) — they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
Locusts — they have no king, but they march in formation.
Lizards — they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces. (Proverbs 30:24-28)
Here are the life wisdom lessons we can draw from this passage, lessons that can help us to have a more humble, more fruitful 2014.
First, like ants, let’s keep working, never presuming that what we have now is what we’ll have tomorrow. Let’s keep working because even if we end up with more than we need to provide for ourselves, somebody else is needing food help that we can provide to them.
Second, like rock badgers, let’s be content with having a safe, solid roof over our heads, even if our residence impresses nobody. Our mission to to seek physical/spiritual provision for others and ourselves “out there,” not simply to have a snazzy abode “in here.”
Third, like locusts, let’s recognize the value of shared goals and cooperation. There are fields “white unto harvest” but we’ll fail to have the impact that God desires for evangelism if we try do ministry by ourselves rather than cooperate with other believers with evangelism and shared compassion ministries toward people in need.
Finally, like lizards, let’s look for ways to gain places of influence among those in politically or financially powerful places. Let’s look for every opportunity to offer help — volunteerism or otherwise — with the “movers and shakers” in our community.
Join a civic organization that has influential people. Seek to make friendships with them. The Lord just might use that friendship someday to serve His kingdom and the Light of God’s love will shine in the king’s palace in a way it might not have otherwise.
Ants, badgers, locusts and lizards — good teachers all. Let’s do our best to be good students.
As always, I love you
Martin
Thank you for the reminder of this valuable wisdom so that we can move on to 2014 with courage and blessing from the Lord and serve Him as a unit of brothers and sisters in Christ to spread the Good News with Him as our Teacher and Leader. Thanks again for your valuable insight. Happy New Year and all the Best for your family and congregation.