Unusal Wisdom

September 7, 2004

Ants. Rock badgers. Locusts. Lizards. They don’t exactly conjure up images of “unusual wisdom.” Unusual? Yes. But wisdom? No.

But Agur thinks so. Who’s Agur? Well, he’s a published author in a bestseller…so he can’t be totally crazy.

OK, he’s the writer of Proverbs 30 and his ants, rock badgers, locusts and lizards make their debuts in verses 25, 26, 27 and 28 (respectively).

There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
Ants–they aren’t strong, but they store up food for the winter.
Rock badgers–they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocky cliffs.
Locusts–they have no king, but they march like an army in ranks.
Lizards–they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
(Proverbs 30:24-28, NLT)

That Agur. You never know what he’s going to come up with next!

So I started thinking about these small creatures that, according to Agur, are “unusually wise.” Goodness knows I need all the wisdom I can get so I stopped to take notice. Here’s what I figure…

Be like the ants. Plan. Don’t overwhelm yourself thinking about the difficult times that lay ahead but work steadily in preparation.

Be like the rock badgers. Be grounded. Take time and care choosing and establishing a strong foundation, even when it may not be easy to get there.

Be like the locusts. Seek order. Work cooperatively with others to accomplish great things even in the absence of leadership.

Be like the lizards. Risk. Do what it takes to get in the presence of the King, regardless of what you may lose in the process.

Unusual wisdom awaits!

Category: Deep Thoughts

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