Goads and Nails

I had to chuckle as I was reading in Job this week.  Not that Job is what I'd call a particularly “funny'' book,  but it’s just that God has a way with words that can speak to so many people and situations at the same time.  I was reading Job 38: 39, "Will you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the hunger of the lions, when they crouch in their dens?"

I had to laugh, because the verse called up an old memory for me, from back in 1996. It was a younger and more naïve “me” back then, at least in terms of the realities around an Ethiopian refugee camp where we were working.

For some reason, another missionary kid and I were hiking, hoping to climb a small mountain behind the camp.  We had the village dog with us.  I can't remember why the rest of the family wasn't along, but I think Tony was teaching the Old Testament and Nathan was teaching every boy in the village how to play basketball.  Who knows what 6-year-old Nicki was doing, but I'm sure it involved her best friend Rhoda, who was also 6.  They had no common language, but loved being together, grinding corn and happily chasing chickens.

Anyway, little Tim and I were off to conquer the mountain,  accompanied by Nikka, the dog.  

Near the summit, we came upon a rock outcropping complete with a cave.  On what you might call the 'front porch' of the cave, there was a smooth flat space.  It would have been easy to jump down, cross over this flat space and make our way on to the goal.  As I was picking my steps along the rocks, we noticed a pile of something like chicken bones at the cave entrance.  

As I made ready to make the jump, I noticed the dog was holding back.  In fact, it looked like she was on the verge of speech, emitting something between a whine and a growl. No matter how much we cajoled, she wouldn't budge.

Finally, Tim said, "I think we should go around".

Now I know it’s been said that I don’t like to take “No” for an answer. I kept insisting that we just jump down, pass through and be on our way.  But Nikka and Tim dug in and finally I gave up and we picked our way above and around, reaching the summit by another route.

Days later the whole family went up again, and there were NEW bones out on the veranda.  My more nature sensitive hunter husband said, "Well duh, that's obviously some predator’s den … maybe a lion!"  You can imagine this time we passed more quickly and cut a wider swath to the top.

How could I be so stupid?  I grew up wandering the Colorado mountains as a latchkey kid, but I never came across anybody's den ....... proved by the fact that I'm still here. I thank God that He didn't deem that I would feed the lions that day.

Don't you have to wonder when the Lord stops us in our tracks and saves us from an ungainly end?  

King Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes 12:11 that “The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one shepherd.”

Goads and nails; in other words, wisdom can sometimes encourage us to get moving, and other times to “nail us in place”. I’d love to hear some of your stories of God’s intervention, moving you along or else holding you back.

Wherever this week takes you, be it goaded or nailed, I hope it’s a week filled with blessings and great stories to tell. 

Marsha