Bible:
“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the does?
Can you number the months that they fulfill,
and do you know the time when they give birth,
when they crouch, bring forth their offspring,
and are delivered of their young?
Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
they go out and do not return to them.” Job 39:1-4 ESV
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24 ESV
Reflection:
In the eastern hemisphere, there are several species of mountain goats called ibex. Ibex live in spectacular mountain areas, in places that would be impossible for humans to climb without a lot of equipment. Not too many other animals can climb like the ibex, either. Ibex hooves have sharp edges and are hollow in the middle. That makes their hooves work like suction cups. They can climb up the sides of steep, rocky cliffs. When their babies are born, they are able to stand and even jump around right away. If they couldn’t, they might fall down the mountain! Ibex eat grass and other mountain plants.
When God made the ibex, he made an amazing creature. God talked to Job about the many amazing things he had made. A God who could design the hooves of the ibex so that they could climb and jump high in the mountains without falling is an amazing God. He knows what he is doing. We can trust him to be able to keep our lives in order.
Like Job, we sometimes don’t think God is fair or is doing the right thing for us. We might grumble and complain. This shows that we don’t trust God. When we are tempted not to trust God, we can think about the ibex, and their incredible design. If God can do that, he can work in our lives as well. Even better than looking at the ibex, we can look at the cross. God sent his Son Jesus to die for us there. Because of Jesus, God forgives all our sins, including the times we don’t trust in him. We can see at the cross how God can take something that seems terrible, and turn it into something wonderful.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for all the wonderful things you’ve made, and for sending Jesus. In His Name, Amen.
Source:
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