So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21, NIV)
Animal encounters on the golf course aren’t always comfortable, but they certainly make for some good stories, and even great video.
One of the ways I learned that the Rules of Golf can be used to your aid and advantage came when I was a teenager. Some friends talked of a known beehive on a particular course. Bees and fire ants, whose strength is in numbers, both might present dangerous animal conditions (Rule 16.2). In these cases—as with poisonous snakes, alligators, or bears, for instance—a player can take relief as a form of protection. Now as for retrieving the ball that lies next to that bear…
We ‘dominant creatures’ have much to learn from a bug we could squash in a moment.Animals entered the creation picture of Genesis on what we know as the fifth day. Whether flying or swimming or walking the land, the creatures with which God stocked the earth were varied and fascinating. They still are, all eight million species or so, according to what is an admittedly imprecise estimate. Among mammals alone, several hundred species have been discovered since the turn of the century, while others are in danger of going extinct. It’s a moving target.
But some creatures live a very known and tenacious existence. On the golf course, squirrels occupy too many greenskeepers’ sleepless nights. At home, you might wake up to find that a parade of ants has strung itself out in your kitchen.
So Scripture doesn’t just speak of animals in Genesis 1. It often uses animals to help lock in our understanding of what our own lives might look like. Take those ants. King Solomon brought nobility to these tiny insects when he wrote: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” (Proverbs 6:6). That’s right, we “dominant creatures” have much to learn from a bug we could squash in a moment. Specifically, ants are resourceful, industrious, and they save for the future. Those may not seem like spiritual traits, but they all require self-discipline (or self-control), which is indeed a fruit of the Spirit.
Jesus taught that those who have faith like children will inherit the kingdom of God. Notably, children are the few among us who will stop and stare enraptured at a line of ants on the sidewalk. So maybe ants are good, too, for teaching us all to pause and contemplate how life should really be lived.
—
Jeff Hopper
April 30, 2021
Copyright 2021 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Fast Forward 1: The Creator
Fast Forward 2: Light and Darkness
Fast Forward 3: Clouds in the Air
Fast Forward 4: Water and Weeds
Fast Forward 5: Skylights
Fast Forward 7: Man Alive!
Fast Forward 8: The World We Live In