The Rabbit and the Tortoise

Hello Everyone!

Summer has certainly arrived and this means lots of different kinds of animals roaming around my neighborhood.  I live across from a very large wildlife reserve and the animals seem to like my flowers much better than what the reserve has to offer.  They must think of them as candy or dessert.  I have black bear, deer, snapping turtles, pheasant, wild turkeys, rabbits, groundhogs and – oh my -snakes.  Yikes!

As I was thinking about some of these animals, the Lord had me consider the rabbit.  My granddaughter raises rabbits for 4-H and is very adept at handling them.  Her very first year raising them, she won a ribbon at the fair.  God gave rabbits strong hind feet and legs so that they can run very fast.  We had a yellow Labrador Retriever that would love to chase them.  As they would go under our fence, the dog, keeping her eyes fixed on the rabbit and running too fast to stop, would crash right into the fence.   God gave the rabbit large ears so that they can hear well, for they are attacked often – they are prey.  When we pray, God gives us spirtual ears to hear and strength to run the race.

Rabbits have eyes that can see all around them.  God has given us eyes to see ahead, for He tells us the end from the beginning.  Rabbits have big teeth to chew – God gives us His Word for us to “chew on” and digest.

But let’s also consider the tortoise.  The tortoise has a hard shell so its inner parts are protected.  God tells us to put on the armor of God to protect us.  The tortoise moves slowly on land but swiftly in water.  Sometimes in the natural, it may seem like a struggle to get to where we need to go.  However, when we immerse ourselves in “Living Water” the journey becomes easier.

When the tortoise is attacked, it pulls back into its shell.  When the enemy attacks us, we are safe in the cleft of the Rock and we can hide in the shelter of His Wings. (Psalm 91)

What this means is that no matter what, Jesus is with us.  In hard times, He protects us, comforts us and hides us.  In good times, He rejoices with us, so that whether we feel like the rabbit or the tortoise, we will always win the race.

Blessings,  Evelyn