“Animals have hearts that feel, eyes that see, and families to care for, just like you and me.” (Anthony Douglas Williams)
There are those times when I
find any one of the Kinker family’s Chihuahuas (Chico, Rosco, and Lola) staring
beyond our head at something in the distance I can’t see. I often wonder at
these times what is in their vision (and not in mine). The three Chihuahuas are
also very perceptive of the emotional climate in our home. I wonder how many
times they have prevented something bad from happening to the three members of
our family. Are there any Old Testament stories where an animal’s intuition is
important?
The king of Moab (Balak) was an enemy of
Israel. He sent for the sorcerer, Balaam, so that he could curse the Israelites.
As Balaam was on the way to meet with Balak, God sent his angel to block the
path. Balaam's unnamed donkey (let’s call the animal “Mr. Ed”) refused to move
because Mr. Ed could see the angel of the Lord blocking his path, but unseeing
Balaam could not.
Balaam resorted to hurting Mr. Ed because he
was in and tried to get his donkey move, but Mr. Ed wouldn’t budge. Then, God
did an amazing thing (that supposedly didn’t surprise Balaam at all. He allowed
Mr. Ed to speak: “What have I done to make you hit me three
times?”
(Numbers 22:28, ICB). Then, finally, Balaam's eyes were opened to see the angel
of the Lord blocking his path. Finally, Balaam understood his lifelong friend,
Mr. Ed, had saved his life.[i]
George Elliot said: Animals are such agreeable friends -
they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms. Don’t
you believe there are many wonderful life lessons that we can learn from the
pets (that surround us). They love unconditionally, tend to not remember small
wrongs done to them, are happy to see you (whenever you come back from
somewhere), and usually want to be with you (no matter your mood). I can’t
speak for anyone, but many of the above qualities seem that they could
definitely be a positive addition to your life. So the next time you are around
an animal (or pet) what are they doing right (human-wise) that you can mimic in
your life?
[i] The Mister Ed show was a situational comedy (sitcom) about a
talking horse that aired from 1961 to 1966. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Ed" means witness. "
Life Application Bible (New International Version)
“10
Times God Used Animals to Accomplish His Purposes” by Veronica Neffinger
Numbers 22:1-38
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