It is human tendency to give ourselves far more credit than
we deserve. We habitually see ourselves
as more powerful and wise than we really are.
I often wonder what it will take for us to truly understand that:
None are so empty as those who
are full of themselves.
~ Benjamin Whichcote
When we are attentive enough to recognize it, Father often demonstrates,
through His creation, our weak position and need for wisdom. He used the power of a little wren to teach
my brother, Art such a lesson!
Art loves nature and has a tender heart toward God’s
creatures. One day while weed-whacking
around the clothes-line pole, he noted a wren’s nest, full of babies, on the
ground! Uncertain why they had fallen to
the ground, Art assumed that momma wren had cleverly crafted this little home in
the hollow of the pole. Concerned for
their well-being, leaving them in the nest, Art ever so gently returned the
little ones to their secret place. The
next day, his curiosity got the best of him.
He wanted to see if the little family was doing ok. Grabbing it with both hands, he pulled himself
up to eye-level with the pole. As if
peering through a telescope, he closed one eye and positioned the other to the end
of the bar. In defense of her little
family, Momma wren darted out of the nest and nailed the perceived predator right
in the eye! The power behind that tiny,
protective momma was so forceful that it knocked Art to the ground. Holy Smokes!
When Art shared this story, my heart went out to him. How startling and painful that must have
been! Yet, what keeps coming back to my
mind time and again is this: a strong, grown man was forced to the ground by a
tiny wren! I can’t think of many better
examples of being knocked-down to size!
Pride goes before destruction, a
haughty spirit before a fall
(Proverbs 16:18).
Being humbled, no matter the tool used, is always painful,
but the lessons in dying to ourselves are necessary. Why?
Because “…with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2) and according to
Proverbs 8:11 , “wisdom is more
precious than rubies”. In fact, wisdom is
so invaluable that in finding it, we find life and favor from our Lord (Proverbs
8:36 )!
So…, how do we find this wisdom? What is it that we are to be looking for and
how do we know when we have found it:?
1) The
Lord gives wisdom when we search for it as if searching for a treasure (Proverbs
2:4-6).
2) The
wisdom given by the Lord is not “wisdom” in this world’s estimation. The wisdom of God is coming to an
understanding of the fear of the Lord and finding the knowledge of God
(Proverbs 2:5-6, 9:10 ).
3) We
know that we have found it when we come to understand who God is and who we are
not!
Wisdom is standing before God, with all pretenses removed,
and humbly admitting that in His presence, we are nothing! Wisdom is being in that place where we can
say with genuine humility, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of
man that you care for him (Psalm 8:4).”
Pride simply does not exist in this place! Nothing compares to this wisdom! That is why we are instructed to seek it
above all else! In fact, Father’s hatred
toward pride and arrogance is so fierce and His desire for us to find wisdom is
so passionate that if we don’t get it the first time, His next tool just might be
a pileated woodpecker!
Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie
P.S. Please
feel free to contact me with questions, thoughts, topics you’d like to ponder
or to read past articles at: http://whole-heartedlife.blogspot.com/. You may also contact me at:
Bonnie
Jaeckle
In Search
of the Whole-Hearted Life
Diagonal
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