“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit…” [Eccl. 7:9].
Squawking–even the word can irritate with its sharp and unrelenting sense of a warring spirit. There you are enjoying the peace and beauty of God when suddenly a flock of blue jays with their constant squawking startle every living thing within hearing distance!
Then there are those other squawkers–the people squawkers. It’s an attention-getter, self promoter, a blatant screech of “look at me.” It definitely can jar the nervous system. The preacher says don’t let it–the Amplified version says, “Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools.”
Being English, I love the word vexed. I’ve been vexed many times by the squawking of others and as many times reminded I’d be a fool to allow it to take up residence. You could substitute the words agitated, frustrated, or irritated, but they don’t have the nice ring of being vexed.
If you find yourself being vexed today, be wise and slam the door. Nothing is worth looking, feeling, or even acting like a fool all because someone else wants to squawk!
The blue jays soon leave when something louder than their squawk is heard–like a voice lifted in praise to God for every living creature. It only takes a moment and peace is restored. God who created the blue jay created the squawk and, somewhere in the wisdom and mystery of God, it has purpose.
“ Everything that God has created is like an orchestra praising Him” [Oswald Chambers]. Settle down and hear the ultimate harmony of all creation, the peace that cannot be ruffled by external disturbances.
Diane Hale for the past 30 years has served as evangelist, trainer, teacher, mentor, and consultant for churches of many denominations. www.uniquebydesign.org
April’s Rooted in Christ theme is Peace
Reading God’s Story Schedule today, 4/25/13: 2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12, Psalm 133.
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