THINGS (PART 3)

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.”

Proverbs 30:18-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today is the third devotion based on the “things” statements by the man Agur who speaks with another man named Ithiel in the 30th Chapter of Proverbs. In Things (Part 1), we find Agur pleading to God for two things, to lead him from lying and to provide him daily bread. Yesterday, in Things (Part 2), Agur shared four things he recognized as never being satisfied, things such as the grave, a barren womb, dry parched land, and fire. In Part 3, we will see today Agur sharing four things all under the common theme of amazement and the inability to understand, particularly in how things can happen and leave no trace. Let’s look at the verses again:

“There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.” Proverbs 30:18-19

  

Think about the things of life that amaze you. There is no shortage of such things, especially as we become more and more aware of the creation we’re a part of. God has done more incredible works than we are aware of. In fact, I’m convinced that most of us possess only a surface knowledge of the astonishing and wonderful works of the hands of the masterful Maker and Creator of all things.

This is why we should never stop trying to learn more and more about the creation world we live in for it will always leave us refreshingly amazed at all that God has done. It certainly did Agur as he contemplated the four things in the scripture for today.

When an eagle majestically flies through the sky with ease, it leaves no trace of where it has been or where it is going. There is no vapor trail as we see when we look at man-made flying innovations. If one didn’t see the eagle fly across the sky where they were, then they would carry on without ever knowing it had been there.

The same applies for the snake on the rock. If a snake slithers through dirt or sand, they leave a trace that they were there as their body leaves behind an impression. No such thing happens when a snake is on a rock. They can slither across and no one would have ever known they were there.

Ditto for the ship on the high seas and I have been on more than a few of them so this part of the proverb rings very true for me. Once the ship slices through the sea, there is a momentary wake left behind but that wake is quickly erased and enveloped, leaving no evidence the ship had ever passed through. And consider that the ships in Agur’s time were not propelled through the water by engines but rather by wind or people power.

Three things, all with the common theme of being present one moment and then gone without a trace the next.

But what about the fourth thing? What’s the point there?

The key is in the words that Agur uses. The first three things – the eagle, the snake, and the ship – were all matters of amazement for Agur. The fourth thing, the way a man and woman fall in love, was something that Agur simply did not understand (Proverbs 30:19 CEV). I’m sure Agur would have a lot of company if we polled people today and asked if they understood it. It is certainly just another of the great mysteries of life, particularly when it comes to when and how a man and woman are attracted to one another.

That is, until we come to the realization that everything is ordained by God.

You see, this is the one thing we need to always keep in mind and the message I feel the Lord is sending to us through the ponderings of Agur.

For when we consider the eagle soaring, the snake slithering, the seas which the ship sails upon, and the way men and women enter into a loving relationship with one another, the one constant across all of them is the hand of God making all possible whether we’re talking about flying, slinking, waves rolling, or people loving. God, the Author of everything in life, dictates the capabilities of everything He made.

And when we think about that truth, we will not only be left amazed and mystified, but with a greater appreciation and admiration for our Lord God Almighty, the only One worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com