Pictures from http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2005/06/16/the-incubator-bird-evidence-for-creation-in-australia/
The Australian Incubator Bird, (also Megapode or brush turkey) is a remarkeable little bird that just happens to be the only bird in the world that incubates it's eggs without the use of it's own body heat.
Instead it builds a large mound of decaying matter over it's eggs, the heat from which incubates the eggs. It's quite a remarkable feat for the 65 cm long bird. The mound is usually around 1 meter high by 4 meters wide.
This little bird is remarkable evidence for the theory of intelligent design.
When the chicks are born, they are buried under 1 meter of decaying matter. These chicks will die if they don't get out of there soon. They don't waste any time. They start digging with their little legs against the mound over them. The debris falls on them, they shake it off, pack it down, and keep digging.
There's a lesson that these little chicks can teach us about how to overcome adversity. At times we find ourselves in dark chapters of our life; times that seem hopeless and ready to destroy us. The more we fight against them, the more dirt seems to fall on our head. But don't give up. Sometimes the dirt that falls on us is the only way we can climb out of our circumstances.
Like a mountain climber, we climb higher and higher in life by putting more and more obstacles under our feet. By rising above, we form strength of character that promises to bring with it peace, contentment, and joy.
Driving back from my wife's parents this past Christmas, I heard a story on the radio about a horse that had fallen into a well in Manitoba. At first, the firefighters tried to save the horse by pumping all the water out of the well. But the well was so deep, that once the water was all pumped out, there was no way to get all the way down to the horse.
So the next thing they did was to fill the well with water. From the horse's perspective, it must have seemed like they were trying to drown him. Here he is in the middle of winter, freezing, and these people are dumping water on him. Slowly the water rises to his neck and has to start swimming. He swims and swim; cold and exhausted, wondering why his loving owner is subjecting him to this treatment. Yet little does he realize that he is slowly swimming right out of the well!
Sometimes we question God's dealing with us. Sometimes life seems so much harder than it needs to be. We complain and chafe under our load. But take courage. God never sends us hardship that is unnecessary. If you have put your trust in Him, you can know that all things are working together for your good. Sometimes you are the cause of your own problems, but even then, don't give up. Learn from your mistakes and rest confident, knowing that God is working to deliver you. Sometimes His way of delivering us may seem too hard from our perspective. But God knows what He's doing. take courage, put a smile on your face, and sing a song of praise to Him. Because He is surely going to save you. Just having this hope, faith, and courage, will tend to make life's trials much more bearable.
Just a question. Is there anything that happens in life that simply has to be seen as meaningless?
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ReplyDeleteRight now I'm going through this annoying problem where my car's brakes need to be replaced, even through I just got the brakes inspected.
ReplyDeleteIs there some grand meaning to this? probably not. It's just one of those things in life that happens.
At the same time. I believe that God has an overruling providence in everything. God allowed this to happen, if nothing else to give me a chance to grow through the common inconveniences of life. I don't have to rack my brain asking myself, "does this mean something? should I sell the car? Should I give up driving altogether?" God gave me a brain to figure those things out on my own. But I can walk in peace knowing that He will take care of me and can take advantage of this opportunity He has given me to exercise faith and Christ-likeness.
I live life believing that because I gave God my life, He is leading it. Sometimes I have no idea what He's doing, and nothing makes sense. Sometimes I make dumb decisions and I get sidetracked because of them. But through it all, I see the hand of God overriding everything for His glory. Maybe I need to right on this topic some time, because what I just lived in the past few months is a perfect example of this.
Now, I'm not advocating that everything in this world is under God's direct control. God has set laws in motion, and He lets them take their course. Evil happens in life because people have abandoned God. Even the innocent suffer because of it. God feels it all. Yet He is not free to intervene as He wishes.
For a person who has committed their life to Him, He has the right to sort of micro-manage their life. Though trials will come, we can know that it all is coming through the filter of what God allows, either to test us, help us grow, correct us, or to glorify His name.
But for others, though He still loves them, He doesn't have that right. For them, many of the things that happen to them are meaningless. God is still present in their life, yet not to the same degree.
It doesn't mean they won't be saved. But for now, God has to leave them in the hands of the enemy. We can leave these innocent sufferers in His hands, knowing that one day He will make things right. "the needy shall not always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever." Psalm 9:18
here's a useful quote to figure out God's guidance in one's life.
We need to follow more closely God's plan of life. To do our best in the work that lies nearest, to commit our ways to God, and to watch for the indications of His providence--these are rules that ensure safe guidance in the choice of an occupation. {Ed 267.3}