Wisdom Withheld

“The ostrich… leaveth her eggs in the earth and warmeth them in dust, and forgetteth that the foot may crush them…. She is hardened against her young ones... because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath He imparted to her understanding” (Job 39:13-17).  “Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes… Give me understanding” (Psalm 119:33,34).  “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold!” (Proverbs 16:16).  “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). 

The wisdom withheld from the ostrich is known

By failing to care for her young she should guard, 

For God, who deprived her of wisdom, has shown

A portrait of folly in hearts that are hard.

Now shouldn’t we thereby be cautioned by this?

Must we be like ostriches, hardened by choice?

Are we so rebellious that we will dismiss

The wisdom God offers, and not heed His voice?

It’s certainly better to cry out to God

To ask for the wisdom that He would impart!

Our thinking apart from the Lord is so flawed,

Yet God, by His Word, places truth in our heart.

Whatever was written in Scripture before

Was given to us by the Lord for our learning,

Yet many now willfully choose to ignore

The wisdom of God they are foolishly spurning.

The wisdom that ought to be taught in our schools,

Including the way to discern right and wrong,

Is daily replaced by the doctrine of fools,

As blind lead the blind, and they go right along.

We see Your priority, Lord, in our youth,

As we train them up in the way they should go.

We thank You that You have provided the truth

With Scriptural certainty that they may know.

O Lord, we give thanks that we are not forsaken

Like eggs which the ostrich forgets in the dust;

Though many will choose to be blindly mistaken,

Your Word is our haven of comfort and trust!