Call it a byproduct of getting older, or perhaps a result of being shut in during the pandemic, but I have become more fascinated with watching and observing wildlife, specifically birds. I talk more in detail about this in my family's latest Weekend Word.
Anyway, I love trying to figure out why animals do what they do. Yes, I know I can read up about all of this or simply ask Siri or Alexa, but there is something fresh about making discoveries with my own eyes. Of course, I do follow up observations with reading and personal study, but being a visual person, I love to see things in action!
I wish I had a stronger desire for such understanding at a younger age. I have always been fascinated with life, but the older I get the more I want to observe and listen. I wrote the Coffee & Jesus devotion this morning on this pursuit for understanding.
“And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"” Job 28:28
The older I get the more questions I have. I’m thankful for that. I have not arrived to a place in which I fully understand everything about life. I’ll watch animals in nature and study their behavior. I watch how plants grow. And yes, I watch people and try to study and understand human behavior as well.
In fact, I’ve always been a watchful observer.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t sit on the sideline all the time. I’m very busy and action-oriented. However, I do spend a significant time trying to observe, learn, and understand.
The more I observe, the more God’s word makes sense to me. God’s instruction is not some wild and chaotic field manual written by a mad scientist to get mankind to do odd things. God’s word is strategic. If we understand that God is to be glorified and that Jesus is the means of redemption, then we should be able to see that God wants to use our lives.
We are not happy accidents!
We are purposeful, unique, and diverse for God’s Kingdom. In garnering that knowledge from God’s word, it helps us understand why He gives us commands that steer us away from evil. It makes sense that we should operate with a healthy fear of God who planned everything out, all the way to the most intimate of life’s detail.
Never stop seeking understanding. First and foremost, seek this understanding from your Creator. Secondly, love His creation, observe it, serve needs, and happily steward this temporary dwelling until He calls you home.
Why do I share all of this self-reflection with a journal-like entry on my blog? Because I cannot encourage you enough to pray for wisdom and understanding! I am increasingly praying more and more for God to fill me with wisdom and understanding. I don't pray this with an end goal in mind, to reach a summit of ultimate wisdom. I pray because I know that I will always need wisdom and understanding.
This pursuit has made me increasingly passionate about where I get my intake of information. I have a love-hate relationship with social media, the mountain of misunderstanding. I am guilty at times of feeding myself the wrong information. I am guilty of not understanding the intentions of others--especially when it comes to written word. Just about every time I post something, someone misunderstands my intent. It happened with a few friends and colleagues last week with a passionate blog I posted .
The point is, seek understanding. I will keep making observations, praying for wisdom and understanding. In this pursuit, I have often found out that I am wrong in certain assumptions and observations. That's okay. I learn and get better. I believe God made us into curious creatures. There's a reason that wisdom naturally comes with experience. "Wisdom is with the aged,
and understanding in length of days." Job 12:12
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