Learn Something From the Small Creatures

Proverbs 30:24-28: "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."

(I am most indebted to Dr. Haddon Robinson, Harold John Ockenga Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, for his 1999 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary- Charlotte commencement address on this passage. Many of my reflective comments below have been influenced by his thoughtful insights on this text).

People today think that to learn invaluable words of wisdom, they must look toward those people and things that are greater than themselves; however when Agur, the author of Proverbs 30, gives us direction for gaining wisdom, he encourages us to look to the smaller creatures.

First, he identifies the ant. The ant is one of the smallest of the earthly creatures; in fact, it is so small that we may find ourselves stepping on one without even knowing it. And although the ant is very small in physical stature, it nonetheless knows the importance of preparedness. The ant knows that winter is just ahead; so it takes necessary steps to store up its food in the summer. The ant knows that if it were to wait until winter, it would not have enough food to sustain itself or its colony through the harsh, cold months.

We would do well to know the discipline and the diligence of the ant. We know that we all will face winters in our lives. They're packaged differently, but they still come our way. Whether our "winter" is a bad medical diagnosis or a financial catastrophe or the betrayal of a loved one, we know that we must ready ourselves now in the "summer" of life so that we are prepared for the winters ahead. Our preparedness comes through intimacy with God through His Word and through prayer. The more we are connected to Our Lord, the God of all Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), the more we are able to endure the bitter days of the future. Dr. Haddon Robinson, Professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has once said, "What you carry into a crisis is what you have in a crisis." When we are experiencing a crisis, our eyes often are too wet with tears and our minds too distracted by the burdens of the situation for us to be able to glean much wisdom. This is why we need to be prepared today with God's Wisdom for the future.

The coney is a small, furry creature comparable to a rabbit. It is a rather powerless creature in terms of defending itself from predators; however, it is wise enough to know that its protection can be found by burrowing itself in the crags of large rocks. Were a coney to think that it is strong enough to protect itself from predators without any need of the safety of the crags, it would end up dead meat. The coney is otherwise defenseless without its safe haven of the rocks.

So too can we learn an invaluable lesson from this example. Our protection ultimately comes from our Rock, namely Jesus Christ (Psalm 18:2). When the Evil One would attempt to destroy us, we know that Christ is our Protector, our Deliverer, our Safety. We would never be able to defend ourselves were it not for our Savior. We would do well to remember that He is our ultimate Source of safety and protection. From Him only can come the blessing of peace and safety.

The locust is a rather small creature . . . a grasshopper that seems not to be a threat to anyone or any thing. Most of us have held grasshoppers in our hands and have been amused at their harmless demeanor. But one thing that a locust knows instinctively is that it can join with other locusts to increase its effectiveness. One locust will not harm much, but a swarm of locusts can bring kingdoms to their knees. When part of a collective purpose, the swarm can have a significant impact upon its environment.

Christians would do well to learn the patterns of the locusts. When Christians are unified in purpose of glorifying God and furthering His kingdom, they are able to accomplish much more than working separately. The Evil One would have us pitted against each other, for he knows that the sterility of the Church is in its disunity. When we are separated from each other by disagreements, our energy is consumed struggling against each other. Factions are created, and any potential, constructive kingdom work is wasted. We need to be like the locusts and join together to maximize our effectiveness for Our Lord (Ephesians 4:3).

The lizard is a rather small reptilian creature that is small enough to be held in the hand; yet despite its size, it is persistent enough that it can be found in king's palaces. I wonder if Agur had seen an occasional lizard make its way into the presence of a king? Maybe Agur was given permission to be before the king; and as he looked around at the magnificent regalia that adorned the king's chamber, maybe he noticed a lizard on a wall or floor. For a human to be given permission to approach a king was a high honor, and this privilege was not granted to everyone. Agur may have seen the lowly lizard in the king's presence and thought to himself, "what determination this creature has to be in such an esteemed place."

We would do well to remember that diligence and persistence will take us to places that we never would have imagined that we could go. Sometimes, God wants us to step out in faith and follow His lead, so that He can use us beyond our ability to fathom. We may think that we are limited in our potential for the Lord. We may think that God cannot use such a "lowly" insignificant person like us. But we must counter those thoughts with thoughts of obedience to Christ, no matter to what level that path may stretch us. The more diligent and persistent we are like the lizard, the more we may find ourselves, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in places that we would never have imagined, for the glory of God.

As Dr. Robinson so eloquently said in his commencement speech to us over 8 years ago, "the next time you see an ant, a coney, a locust, or a lizard, remember that despite their smallness they have a lot to teach us . . . and we have a lot to learn."