The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.. and ant... and locust...

"small, yet extremely wise"

Proverbs 30:24

I love nature.  I love rainbows, and clouds, and fish, and spiders, and even dead owls.  And I love when nature gives us illustrations of God's characteristics, or lessons that teach us how to live in obedience to Him.    And Scripture has no shortage of animals from which we can learn.

I am fortunate to have not only a loving and wise mother, but also a loving and wise mother-in-law.  {Or as the French say, my "belle-mere," which means "beautiful mother".  Doesn't that sound so much nicer than mother-in-law?}  Well, recently, my belle-mere shared with me a few verses in Proverbs that are an amazing example of nature's lessons to us.

It's in Proverbs 30, and while the creatures vary according to the version of the Bible you're reading, the lessons are there regardless.  I'm reading from the New King James:

Verse 25 ~ "The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer"  

While ants may be strong for their size, they have absolutely no standing in the food chain.  You can't get much smaller than an ant, and still be visible.  Stepped on by dogs, eaten by birds, sprayed with Raid, the ant gets no respect.   But they wisely gather their food in summer ~ a fact made famous by Aesop's "The Ant and The Grasshopper" ~ and the wisdom for us is to be prepared.  Just as the ant instinctively knows that winter is coming, so we know that our time on this earth is coming to an end.  Those who are wise prepare now for an eternity that is coming sooner or later!

Verse 26 ~ "The coneys* are a feeble folk, yet they make their homes in the rocks."

( *or rock badgers or hyrax)

There are a few options for the word being translated here, but these creatures all have the same characteristics ~ small and feeble.   We're talking about creatures that have little in the way of self-defense, so they find protection in their surroundings, making their homes in rocky areas, where they can hide easily.    Now, I don't know about you, but I find that life on this planet is marked by a series of battles, and some of these battles are bigger than we can handle.  Our enemy is strong, and wily.  But Jesus is the Rock.  And Matthew 7 tells us that he is wise, who builds his house on the rock.  Though the rains come down, the streams rise, the winds blow and beat against the house, we will be strong if our foundation is on the Rock.

Verse 27 ~ "The locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks"

It's always interesting to see how animals form groups, and how a leader is selected.  There are a lot of animals that form packs, herds or hives, and they all have a leader.  Locusts, on the other hand, do not.  They are known for traveling in swarms, and can do great damage to plant life.  Now, one locust on his own couldn't possibly devastate a field, but their effect as a group is renowned.   And why?  Because they stick together.  As Christ's church, we too need to unite.  Teaching, encouraging, exhorting... we make each other stronger.  And our impact on the world around us will reflect our unity in Him.

Verse 28 ~ "The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in kings' palaces"

It seems to me there are few bugs more reviled than the spider.  The ant pesters us by invading our pantries, but doesn't bring out the same squeamish quality in people that spiders do.  Cockroaches have the worst reputation, but they aren't anywhere near as common as spiders.  Plus, spiders have that annoying habit of building their webs at the same height as our heads, and that's no fun to walk through...  But the spider has a talent unlike any other.  It is, indeed, an amazingly skillful creature, and though no one wants it in their house, it makes its way into probably every home on the planet, (except maybe Iceland or Siberia), including in the palaces of kings.  A spider grasps with its hands to build its home, and there's a wonderful illustration there for us.  If we take hold of the promises of God, we too will live in a palace.  Jesus gave us this promise in John 14:2, "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you."  A room in His palace is waiting for each of us.

Wisdom is in being prepared; finding our refuge in Him; uniting with fellow believers; and claiming His promises.  And if we can learn what He has taught the animals and insects, we are wise indeed!

~ "The Spirit of God in wisdom, 

in understanding, in knowledge, 

and in all manner of workmanship" ~

Exodus 31:3