13 “The ostriches’ wings flap joyously
With the pinion and plumage of [d]love,
14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [e]them,
Or that a wild beast may trample [f]them.
16 “She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor be in vain, she is [g]unconcerned;
17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 “When she lifts herself [h]on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 “Do you make him leap like the locust?
His majestic snorting is terrible.
21 “[i]He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He goes out to meet the weapons.
22 “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 “The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 “With shaking and rage he [j]races over the ground,
And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.
25 “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
27 “Is it at your [k]command that the eagle mounts up
And makes his nest on high?
28 “On the cliff he dwells and lodges,
Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.
29 “From there he spies out food;
His eyes see it from afar.
30 “His young ones also suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there is he.”
This last passage brings to mind one of the differences between man and beast. Quite simplified, animals react, while people make decisions and process their environment on quite a different level. As noted with the ostrich, God “has not given her a share of understanding.” Yet, while that might make animals predictable, their reactions are still so nuanced that we don’t know exactly why they do what they do.
For all our study, there is still so much we do not know. We see patterns, and then one individual will do something completely unexpected. Though it is not unexpected to God. He commands the eagle, and sees the next of every eagle in the world. He knows when they feed or sleep, and more, he knows what they will do in an hour, a day, or even a year.
Despite our “ignorance”, God invites us to know Him. He does not invite the ostrich, the horse, or even the lofty eagle to this party. Ours is a high calling, not to be taken for granted. Forget that God has a plan for our entire lives, and realize that our first calling is to find and know Him. It is to be restored, and know once more His love and return that love, imperfect though it be.
So while we may not understand all the ways of God, and his thoughts are so far above our own, do not be dismayed. God is with us always, inviting us to join his family all the same. Even for those who know him not, God is still omnipresent, there in every situation, waiting to be found, waiting to be known, even as he knows us. Indeed, not just waiting quietly in the waiting room of our lives, but knocking at the door. Open the door, let him in, and prepare to be amazed!