Consider the Ravens

Guest (Female): Welcome to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Did you know there's an amazing reason why God created animals? Here's Joni to explain.
Joni Eareckson Tada: You probably are amazed as well how much we can learn about God from observing animals, birds, or insects. My girlfriend Ruth has a beehive in her backyard, and when she told me how complex, yet orderly, a beehive really is—even down to those little hexagon shapes of the honeycomb—how could anybody not believe in God? Which just goes to show the reason why God created bees and bugs and badgers and bulldogs. The reason God created these animals is primarily to teach us lessons about himself and why we should praise him. Just a quick look at Scripture proves it. In Luke chapter 12, Jesus says, "Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than birds." Right there, a raven teaches us that God is our provider. And then in Proverbs chapter 6, God tells us to go to the ant, consider its ways, and be wise. So God created little ants to teach us that he is the source of all wisdom, including how to work together as a team. God uses ants to teach us how to do that for sure. But perhaps the most convincing Bible verse is Job chapter 12, where the Holy Spirit says to us, "Ask the animals, and they will teach you. Or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you. Let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" God even uses animals to teach us to worship him because Psalm 148 says, "Praise the Lord from the earth, all you animals." So it's not like God created dogs simply to be our cozy companions, although that's true. God created dogs and cats and horses and all the rest to teach us lessons about himself. He created animals to instruct us how to get along with each other, how to care for each other, and serve one another. I'm thinking of Charlie, an 11-year-old Golden Retriever, and his companion little Maverick, a Retriever puppy. Oh, the lessons these two dogs have taught. When Charlie lost his eyes as a result of glaucoma, this dog lost his zeal for life. Unlike most Golden Retrievers, it was like he became depressed. That's when Charlie's owners decided to get their old dog a little companion, a little Golden Retriever puppy they called Maverick. Call it canine intuition, but that puppy was able to sense Charlie's dark mood. Like any puppy, he brought out the best in Charlie with a lot of roughhousing, and Charlie rediscovered playing. He became a new dog; he gained back a spark for life. But get this: Maverick even takes Charlie on walks, leading him with a leash that he holds between his teeth. There's a really heartwarming video that shows you all this, and you have to see it today. Visit joniradio.org because it's really something. Yes, animals teach us lessons. It's why God created them. And the lesson here: if a small dog can sense the need, even the depression, in an older dog and make a difference, what is God telling us? If animals care for their kind who are hurting or injured, shouldn't we? Is there a way we can help others who are hurting gain back their spark, their zeal for life? Friend, let's learn a lesson from the animals today. Actually, let's learn it from God who made them: serve others, help and encourage the needy, give and make a difference. And be inspired to do it by watching the video of Charlie and Maverick that we've posted at joniradio.org.