April 30

Apr 30 - Today from Proverbs 30 we look at verses 24-28
"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; coneys 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."

Verses 15-31 of this chapter is a series of keen observations of nature by the writer. Each series represents an observation about life. I would entitle the section we have chosen today: PARADOX.
A paradox is something that displays seemingly contradictory aspects. They defy the paradigms of the normal. Take any one of the four examples in today's text, and it seems to contradict our normal thought patterns. The coney is a rabbit-like creature that lives in the wilderness. To see it, one would rationalize that such a soft, furry little creature without defenses wouldn't last two days in such a harsh environment. If the birds of prey didn't pick it off, the ground predators would. Yet, the little creature exists because it has the instinct to live on or near the rocky crags where it can disappear in seconds when threatened. Its body was designed to flex and squeeze into spaces that are impossible for its predators to follow. The small, furry defenseless animal survives amidst hungry predators in the most rugged of terrain because the terrain is rugged. A paradox.
There is a spiritual lesson here for us. When we observe the vast diversity of God's creation, and how so many of His small and helpless creatures have been created to adapt to circumstances which are generally disagreeable and undesirable to the common majority of the rest, we begin to understand that God has a place and a purpose for everyone. Life is full of paradoxes, yet we too often view them as abnormal rather than the normal way God intended. Rabbits living in the rocky terrain of a wilderness is not abnormal just because the majority of rabbits live in woods and meadows. Majority does not equal normal. The paradoxes of life are also normal because they fit in with God's purposes.
God has created such diversity in mankind as well. We like to think of ourselves as normal, and those who choose to serve in disagreeable or undesirable circumstances as abnormal. I am speaking of natural and spiritual gifts, not of dereliction of life's values and purposes. God did not 'gift' men to be homeless addicts living under overpasses. However, He did gift men to earn a living and serve his fellow man by collecting other people's garbage. It may be disgusting to most, but I had a friend who worked a refuse route and he wouldn't want to do anything else. As far as he was concerned, he had the perfect job. Many viewed him as abnormal, not just for doing such a disagreeable job, but for actually enjoying it! I enjoyed our friendship. Wayne was a happy-go-lucky guy who would always stop with his big smile and take a few minutes to chat. He was different than me, but he wasn't abnormal. He was content with his place in life because it fit with how God ‘hard-wired’ him.
It is the same with spiritual gifts. Some have gifts of teaching, some gifts of giving, some gifts of hospitality -- what wonderful people they are. Teachers are publicly visible and often sought after for understanding. Givers have a gift for making money and they are obedient to use it to support kingdom work. It is obvious why they are sought after. People with hospitality know how to make people feel welcome and comfortable. A wonderful gift. But what about people who have, say, the gift of helps. They are the one who clean up the dishes after a meal event. They are the ones who grab the shovel and push snow off the walk - even when it isn't their responsibility. They are the ones who empty diaper pail in the nursery because it is creating a bad odor and there is still time left before dismissal. They often go unnoticed and unheralded. Surely what they do isn't spiritual! They just don't fit in anywhere else. . .
They are my heroes. Having been a director of a mission organization, and a staff person at a church, I have come to appreciate those silent servants who have and utilize the gift of helps. And that is only one of the under-rated spiritual gifts. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:22, "Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable." Amen.
Wisdom observes the characteristics of God's creation and learns from them. God did not create abnormal creatures, He simply created diversity that we might behold His wonder