“你且问走兽，走兽必指教你；又问空中的飞鸟，飞鸟必告诉你；” – 伯 12:7
世界各地的孩子都喜欢向鸟类学习智慧：大鸟(来自芝麻街)和鹅妈妈(和她的童谣)是两个最广为人知的鸟类导师，它们是拍着翅膀、摇摇摆摆地在地上走着的鸟！
我的一位上了年纪的教授经常把鸟儿称为他的老师。他说，当他观看鸟儿时，他把小鸟称为“LBJs”（Little-Brown-Jobs的缩写，棕色小约伯），因为他分不清麻雀和燕子。但他越仔细观察，就越能体会到他们之间的不同。最后，他说他学会了观察小鸟，这也让他开始欣赏身边的人，以及神在他们生命中独特的工作方式。
约伯很沮丧，因为他的朋友们总是把神在世上的工作一概而论，把每件事都当作“LBJ”。他们滔滔不绝地说着一些看似智慧的想法，但对神在苦难中的同在却并没有深刻的见解。约伯解释说，智慧不是对所有生活中的困境都有正确的答案，而是能够注意到神在每一种处境下所做的事，并认识到神最终掌管着我们生活的一切结果。他说，连走兽和飞鸟都知道这一点！
祷告
主耶稣，请赐给我们谦卑的心，帮助我们密切关注我们生命中的人的遭遇，好使我们能认识到你慈悲的同在，以及你在我们中间奇妙的工作。阿们。
约伯记 12:1-13
1约伯回答说：
2“你们真是子民哪！你们死亡，智慧也就灭没了。
3但我也有聪明，与你们一样，并非不及你们。你们所说的，谁不知道呢？
4我这求告神，蒙他应允的人，竟成了朋友所讥笑的。公义完全人，竟受了人的讥笑。
5安逸的人心里藐视灾祸，这灾祸常常等待滑脚的人。
6强盗的帐篷兴旺，惹神的人稳固，神多将财物送到他们手中。
7“你且问走兽，走兽必指教你；又问空中的飞鸟，飞鸟必告诉你；
8或与地说话，地必指教你；海中的鱼也必向你说明。
9看这一切，谁不知道是耶和华的手做成的呢？
10凡活物的生命和人类的气息，都在他手中。
11耳朵岂不试验言语，正如上膛尝食物吗？
12年老的有智慧，寿高的有知识。
13“在神有智慧和能力，他有谋略和知识。
Learning From Animals And Birds
“Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you. . . .” – Job 12:7
Many children around the world have enjoyed learning from birds: Big Bird (from Sesame Street) and Mother Goose (with her nursery rhymes) are two of the most famous bird-teachers to have flapped or waddled on the face of the earth!
One of my elderly professors often referred to birds as his teachers. When he started bird-watching, he said, he referred to small birds as “LBJs” (short for “Little-Brown-Jobs”) because he couldn’t tell all the sparrows and swallows apart. But the more he paid attention, the more he began to appreciate their differences. Eventually, he said, his learning to pay attention to small birds led him also to appreciate the people around him and the unique ways God was at work in their lives.
Job was discouraged that his friends were making generalizations about how God works in the world—treating everything like an “LBJ.” They were spouting off ideas that had the appearance of wisdom but had no deep insight into how God could be present in times of deep suffering. Job explained that wisdom isn’t about having the right answers; it’s about being able to notice what God is doing in every circumstance, and seeing how God ultimately controls the outcome of our lives. Even the animals and birds know that much, he said!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, give us humility and help us to pay close attention to the people in our lives so that we can recognize your merciful presence and amazing work in and among us all. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
