One of my favourite geography TV shows as a child was Expedition to the animal kingdom. This show portrayed the lifestyles and the habitation of different animals. As a child, the only way I could see these animals was to watch them on TV. Thankfully, as an adult, I have visited different zoos and been to a Safari. Seeing the animals live makes a whole difference as compared to watching on TV. Sometimes, I really wish we could understand the shouts, grunts, howl, squeak, bark, etc. of the animals. Watching animated shows with my kids makes it easier! I see the lion talk, sing and dance. As funny as this may sound, I believe the animals have their own lifestyles and singing and dancing may be incorporated in their shouts and movements. Anyway, the next time I go to a Safari, I will ask an expert! The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen. (Isaiah 43:20) Is it not fascinating to know that God took time to make all the different species of animals and decorated them with different attitudes and appearances? Have you taken a closer look at a jackal? At first sight, you may think that it is a wolf, or a fox or even a domesticated dog. If you can buy a chiwawa and keep it in your home as a pet, it will be impossible to buy a jackal from the wild and keep it home! However, both the chiwawa and the jackal are God’s creation. The chiwawa is domestic and the jackal is a wild animal. In the book of Isaiah 43:20, we see that the wild animals honour God. The jackals and the owls in the wilderness are provided with water and the wasteland has streams. In the ferocious wild, the animals are still cared for by God. He sustains them with what they need. Some of the animals living on deserts have anatomical features that allow them to go without water for months. Is that not amazing! So you see why God is honoured even by wild animals. Understanding that both humans and animals have a role to play in worshipping God should change our attitudes towards creation. First, only God deserves our worship. Second, we should not worship creation (trees, animals, water bodies, rocks etc.). Thirdly, we should be mindful not to harm the creation. If we consider the effects of our actions on the atmosphere, the earth, the water bodies and the animals in the wild, we will become more caring and less harmful. The wild animals are not our enemies. They are God’s creation and they have been kept in their habitats because that is where they can thrive. They can honour God in their natural habitats and they are well taken care of by their Maker. We shouldn’t encroach on their habitation and cause these animals to go extinct. As you raise your hands in honour to God, know that the wild animals are doing the same. Their appearance, their tenacity, their hunting skills, their ferocious appearances and their ability to survive in the Wild is because God takes care of them. Allow them to thrive so they can honour their Maker!
top of page
bottom of page
Comments