"Brief Devotions For Busy Lives" by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson: Proverbs 28:18-19

 May 18

"The one who walks blamelessly will be delivered, but whoever is perverse in his ways will fall at once. The one who works his land will be satisfied with food, but whoever chases daydreams will have his fill of poverty." - Proverbs 28:18-19 (NET)

May is a wonderful time to watch the wildlife and see their busyness and joy as they naturally go about their life. Squirrels are especially fascinating as they scamper, jump, munch, and play now freed from their winter dens and hibernation. Their prankster antics and amazing high-flying acrobatics are a never-ending source of entertainment as they chomp on the stored harvest of winter acorns and pine nuts while waiting for the next crop in the fall. Also fascinating are the ground bound chipmunks still munching on their stored winter harvest of seeds and nuts. While scampering about joyfully they are looking for new morsels and taking every opportunity to expand their spacious underground city by excavating more rooms in their network of tunnel homes.

The prosperity of backyard wildlife can be an example to us all. While humans sometimes avoid or despise work and hesitate to save for the future, squirrels and chipmunks seem to naturally do so and rejoice in their God given abilities to bank tasty provisions for tomorrow. It seems they even look at work as play. They are a wonderful example of the truth of Proverbs when it says "The one who works his land will be satisfied with food." There also doesn't seem to be any authority figure issues with wildlife or forced labor existing. Or as Proverbs also says about the ant: "It has no commander, overseer, or ruler, yet it prepares its food in the summer; it gathers at the harvest what it will eat." (Prov. 6:7-8) It may even be that God' creatures have a lot to teach us about prosperity, abundance, work, and happiness by showing us that all work is really joyful play when we are in harmony with God's plans and intentions for all of us to proper and thrive.

Prayer: God, May wildlife teach me about success. Amen.

Meditation For The Day: Productive work is God's playful gift.

Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal Paperback – February 21, 2017, by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author)