by Graham Mol
There was a big event in the Mol household this past weekend. Our one dog, Lexi, who was pregnant, gave birth to her litter of puppies. It has been, as the saying goes, a roller coaster ride of emotions with there being complications with the birthing and needing veterinary intervention, to now having 8 happy and growing puppies. Having never gone through this kind of thing before we were nervous. Candice had done a lot of research into what we as owners could do to ensure that we were prepared to look after mother and pups once they arrived.
There were a number of things we could do regarding providing a safe place for Lexi to have and look after her puppies but when it came to the daily care of the little ones, mother dog does it all. We all know about the concept of animal instinct, and yet witnessing it at work as our lovable but “doff” doggy became a capable mom right before our eyes, we marvelled at how amazing it really is. How could she just “know” what to do? It seems almost supernatural!
Clearly a dog (or any other animal) has not the ability to sit in a class, or do some “googling” to find out how to care for a litter of puppies. Therefore it is essential that she has the inbuilt knowledge within her so that she can successfully raise her young.
Where does such knowledge or wisdom come from?
Let us consider God’s own words to Job:
“Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom
or gives the rooster understanding?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
38 when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?
39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions
40 when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in a thicket?
41 Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?
39:1 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
Do you know the time they give birth?
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;
their labor pains are ended.
4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
they leave and do not return. ( Job 38:34-39:4 NIV )
As believers we know that it is God who carefully handcrafted the universe, and in particular our world with all the plants and creatures upon it. He is the one who bestowed such wisdom upon the animals, that instinct to know and do what they should. Although we can observe these behaviours and seek to understand them, I don’t think any can quite explain just how it all works. Like many of the awe-inspiring and yet mysterious aspects of creation, the “wisdom” of the animals declares God’s glory and sovereignty over all things.
How great is our God!
God Bless
Graham
Very good illustration of our Creator. He is in control forevermore.