*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*
*PLAYING THE OSTRICH (2).*
*Scripture Treasure.*
Proverbs 4:7:
*Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.*
*Insight and Highlight.*
Only by wisdom and getting the understanding that people are different and have different abilities will help you to be able to judge correctly.
*Scripture Commentaries.*
Yesterday, we saw God's illustrative description of the ostrich from the viewpoint of Job, not seeing or mentioning Satan at all as the root of his adversity but questioning God. God brought the illustration of the ostrich to tell him how void his understanding was, just like the ostrich who lacked understanding.
Today, we will look further at the illustration of the ostrich that, though created as a bird just like other birds, but its abilities are different from others.
First, we must know and appreciate our differences.
An ostrich served as an example of a bird created similarly with other birds but seriously inadequate to perform tasks and obligations expected of it because of differences by genetic formation or disorder that causes behavioral issues like we find in some humans.
God did not endow the ostrich with the same
ability with other flying birds, yet He described the ostrich in the same category with other flying birds along with the owl, seagull and hawk, indicating it was recognized as a type of bird despite the fact that the ostrich cannot fly, Lev 11:11-20,
Deuteronomy 14:12-18.
The peacock has beautiful wings, and it can fly and cares for her hatched eggs.
The stork bird can fly. They are kind birds and compassionate to their hatched eggs and offspring, unlike the ostrich.
The stork is a symbol of affection for its young ones, its beauty, and the power of its wings, yet it is a bird like the ostrich.
God did not endow the ostrich with the same
ability strength like the eagle or some flying birds yet can scare the horse. When the ostrich lifts itself up to run, it can put the horse and its rider to shame. lt is known to outstrip horses when it comes to pure speed.
The wings of the peacock are goodly.
The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but
the ostrich can not fly with her wings.
Though she has wings like the peacock, her wings can not match the beauty of the peacock nor the pinions and feathers of the stork who could fly with them, Job 39:13-19.
The ostrich is categorized with some other birds, and they are capable of having offspring like others but not caring. In the best language, they are careless and without wisdom. They are not like the mother-hen, the eagle, the patridge, etc.
They are all birds, but each is different in care, beauty, and characteristics.
We must live to understand that not everybody has the same abilities and perceptions, though they were created equal.
We must understand that whatever trials or challenges anybody has are for God's benefit.
Even Jesus teaches us that people's abilities are different, Matt 25:15.
Even twins differ in abilities, Gen 25:27 and by divine appointments they differ, Rom 9:13.
We play the ostrich with ourselves and others.
We play the ostrich forgetting or pretending to accept that people's suffering may not be a consequence of something they had not done wrong.
Some things happen to some people because of how God had orchestrated their lives. Their lives must be a reflection of God's design for them. Their behaviors or what befalls them are beyond human's understanding.
We play the ostrich saying that people's suffering will soon go away, and so we neglect to do what we can do now to help reduce or solve their present problems.
We can not control what happens to some people in life, but we can help solve or profer solutions to their problems
We play the ostrich pretending or saying that a problem does not really exist because it does not affect us or does not affect us as it affects the sufferer.
Job was utterly condemned by his friends because they could not see why a person could go through all his affliction without having sinned.
People who play the ostrich always think that if they do not see any danger or any wrong in what they do, then no danger or wrong exists to them. It may be to others, but they do not care.
His friends, not knowing they were worse or real sinner, faced God's condemnation, Job 42:7.
We go through learning, and we understand differently.
We go through pains differently. We must not pretend there is no problem.
We are often very quick to judge others because we are not going through what they are going through.
We are quick to comfort, but it is obvious we do not share pains because we do things to indicate that life must continue regardless of the calamities they go through.
Things we do that suggest no respect for the grieving, suffering, or dead soul. Things that show we do not care.
We often judge others by their performances using the same level of opportunities given to them and others.
We forget that people may have the same opportunities but different abilities.
We forget that equality is not uniformity. Only equity is unity.
The descriptive illustration of the ostrich to insects and other animals to Job was to
humble Job and us all because we know so little about the nature of the creatures and humans around us.
We must never behave that there is no problem with other fellow humans and must never lose sight that it is important we are to show
that we care by helping them to face them all together.
We must know there are wrongs around us that need corrections, or else we will all face the consequences of avoiding or neglecting unpleasant situations or information, even when it is important to face them.
Today, our society does not recognize how one may belong to a category of people yet be unable to perform as effectively as the category he belongs.
Let us remember that no matter what, we were once not up to but we are now up to so let us give others a chance to be up to.
It is a process, a ladder or stage everybody will pass through or climb.
Our times are different, so it makes achievements a matter of time
We can not correct some organism's characteristics and abilities, but we can help to make them better. If you do not, God will work things out for them, Himself.
Though the ostrich is careless, it is still a bird, and God is still fulfilling why He created it.
Its foolishness remains a standard of comparison that we do not be like the ostrich.
Its foolishness was a point of teaching Job not to be as foolish and without understanding.
Do not play the ostrich!
*Remorse corner.*
Do not pretend you do not know the problems around you. Be part of those who can solve it.
Do not play the ostrich!
*Call to Word action.*
You can play the ostrich when you do not care or avoid the wrongs around you when you should attend to it.
*The Christian clarion duty.*
You can play the ostrich when you ignore obvious matters in your life and pretend they do not exist
*Prayer.*
Lord, please give me the wisdom and understanding of what goes on in my life and around me. Let me not be heartless in Jesus name.
Good morning all, and have a blessed day.
God bless you.
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