HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION
Rick Ashlock
“He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.” Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)
Occasionally nature takes an opportunity to show its full power and man’s comparative weakness. The recent tsunami in South Asia is a prime example of the danger that constantly surrounds our existence. While it rarely comes to fruition, when it does we are left utterly helpless. Yes, we can take preventative measures to predict some natural phenomena and we are getting very good at getting warnings to those who will be endangered, however, there are, obviously, still times and places where these measures are inadequate and humans are at the mercy of a planet we do not really understand all that well.
The death toll from the tsunami continues to mount. The last number I heard, and this was a few days ago, was one hundred seventy-five thousand. Most of us have seen news footage of dozens of bodies laid out for identification. We’ve been told of the mass graves that have been filled with the remains of the victims. We’ve heard the tearful stories of families coping with tremendous loss and rejoicing over miraculous deliverance.
One thing that might have escaped your notice, however, is the absence of large scale loss of animal life. While there was the loss of some marine life due to being carried by the waves on to land then being left behind as the tide receded, one wildlife refuge manager in Sri Lanka said he could not find evidence of any land animal deaths from the tsunami.
Many scientists attribute the ability of animals to avoid the peril which claimed so many human lives to their more developed acoustic sensitivity. In other words, they were able to hear the tidal wave coming and instinctively knew to head to higher ground.
God, in His infinite wisdom, chose not to bless humans with an abundance of instincts and amazingly powerful senses. Instead, He gave us something far more fallible but also more powerful, intellect. The power of human intellect is on display in every facet of our lives. Computers, lasers, satellites, airplanes, skyscrapers, agriculture, prepared foods, medicines, etc. comprise the bulk of the human experience, at least in developed nations such as ours. We also see the flaws of the human intellect all around us in things like substance abuse, racism, and terrorism.
As different as intellect and instinct function, they both serve as the mechanism by which God designed their respective owners to build their lives. Just as He made animals to sense things beyond our powers of perception to find food, mates, and dangers, He made us to observe the world around us, to learn from it, and to see in it a faint glimpse of a much higher power.
God has given animals instinct to sense danger and preserve their lives. He has given us intellect to learn our own spiritual peril and find the avenue of escape He has provided for us. God has given the necessary foundation upon which to build a life which is worthy of the calling we have received. It is now up to us to use what God has given us to find the way to do exactly that.