It Is Not Good For The Man To Be Alone

The other day, we passed a woman crossing her snowy yard followed by a cat. My wife commented, “There’s a cold kitty… bet he wants in.” Then she said, “A lot of cats live out in the snow I guess.” Immediately I thought of the small wildcats we have in Idaho. Literal “wild” cats who live outside. What made this “house” cat different? It was domesticated. It likes its snuggly blanket in the warm house.

Where do domesticated animals come from? How did we get them? Science traces their domesticity back thousands of years… dogs, cats, pigs, horses, and cows. Various scientific proofs say that through processes of evolution, and intentional breeding by man, our modern domestic dogs, cats, and other animals have come to be over vast stretches of time. Domestic dogs slowly came from grey wolves they say.

Driving on I thought, “God gave them to us for companionship.” That is one of the main purposes of domestic animals. They are companions. It is true that dogs perform vital functions in some cases, like sled dogs in the arctic. Pigs are raised for food. Horses can bear burdens, including us. But one of the greatest things about these creatures is that they are friends. Have you had a favorite pet?

God is a God of relationship. Out of love for man, he gave us some 4-legged friends. He’s concerned that we not be alone. So he gave us what we call “man’s best friend.” How cool is that?


Consider these verses regarding animals.

- God owns all the animals, He made them.
Psa 50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

- He watches over them, even as He does people.
Psa 36:6 O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.

- We are to be concerned about the life of animals.
Pro 12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast:

- Although God feeds and loves the animals, it is the person who trusts in God that is first priority for the Lord.
Psa 147:9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
Psa 147:10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
Psa 147:11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

No, it's not good for us to be alone. Thank you God that you care about me.

An Old-Fashioned Christmas

I love those idyllic, Christmas-card pictures. A snowy landscape; a couple driving their horse-drawn sled toward a warm little bungalow; brightly wrapped gifts in the back of the sled. That, or some similar image of an “old fashioned Christmas” warms the heart.

In reality, often Christmas warms our heart but scalds our pocket book. For many, Christmas shopping is a pressure-packed time. Debt piles up. All the ideals of an old-fashioned Christmas seem reduced to a greeting-card picture.

Recently I was reading in Exodus 16 about the huge crowd of grumbling, disobedient Israelites in the desert. In that barren place, God provided manna for them. At first they said, “What is it?” God’s provision was not recognizable.

A couple things relate to Christmas in this story.

First, the people were in need. They didn’t have enough. Yet in the desert, we are told, “That evening quail came and covered the camp…” Yesterday, in an empty Pennsylvania field I saw hundreds of sparrows literally covering a portion of the field. How can a sparrow strip a field of seed? It’s easy. Thousands show up. God’s provision is abundant.


Second, what they needed was provided. “Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.” God often works that way. He meets the need, yet allows need to recur. He likes us to come to Him.


Lastly, the timing of God’s provision was impeccable. “The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled.” When we arrived in Pennsylvania in August, we needed housing. A family in our church offered their “cottage” adjacent to their house. They said, “stay as long as you like.” We were blown away at God’s timing.

So this year, why not experience an old-fashioned Christmas? Not the greeting card kind, but one where you ask the Lord for what you need. Grab a cup of coffee and get off into a quiet place. Have a private conversation with God. Tell Him what you need. It might be helpful if you admit to him you’ve grumbled and disobeyed quite a bit too. But talk with him. Then wait, be observant, and see if you don’t start recognizing the manna.

Merry Christmas and enjoy the sleigh ride.