Spiders?!

 

Devotion

 Proverbs 30:24-28

²⁴ Four things on earth are small,
    yet they are exceedingly wise:
²⁵ the ants are a people without strength,
    yet they provide their food in the summer;
²⁶ the badgers are a people without power,
    yet they make their homes in the rocks;
²⁷ the locusts have no king,
    yet all of them march in rank;
²⁸ the spider can be grasped in the hand,
    yet it is found in kings’ palaces.  (NRSV)

Devotion

I have a fondness for spiders...a fondness that I know that many people do not share.  According to Nationwide Insurance, an estimated 3.5% of people suffer from arachnophobia (the fear of spiders).  Still others find the little creatures creepy, gross, or unpleasant.  The only good use for a spider web, many would argue, is to put up as a Halloween decoration.

There are, though, excellent reasons to thank God for the humble spider.  They serve an important role of eating bugs and feeding other creatures.  According to a Jewish midrash (a piece of commentary that digs into scripture or even goes behind it by recording, questions, conversations, and extra stories), King David had a special reason to be thankful for spiders.  The story goes that when David was a young shepherd, he saw a spider spinning its web and asked God what use such a creature could possibly have. God responded by saying that the day would come when David understood spiders' purpose.  

Years later, David found himself hiding in a cave as King Saul searched for him.   As Saul and his soldiers approached, David knew that it was only a matter of time before they found his hiding spot and killed him.  Then a spider appeared, quickly spinning a massive web across the the cave's  entire entrance.  When Saul found the cave, he said it must be empty; after all, the spider web would have been torn down if anyone had gone inside.  As Saul and his soldiers moved on, David gave thanks for spiders, noting that everything--even the creepiest and crawliest of creatures-- have a part to play in God's plans.

Like David, we all have "spiders" in our lives.  There are situations that make us uncomfortable, things we don't see the point of, and people we just don't like.  There are times when we find ourselves wondering why on Earth God would bring that person, thing, etc. into the world  What purpose could a situation like this or a person like that possibly serve?

Just because we do not understand something or someone's purpose doesn't mean that they don't have one.  God, who creates all things good, has a plan for everything and everyone.  We all have value.  We all have our own God-given work to do.  Like a spider web, God's intricate plans can be nearly invisible to the eye...and yet oh how beautiful they can be when seen from the right angle. And when we are lucky, God ends up letting us see just how important that person or thing we dismissed really is.  It may take us years--even decades--for us to understand something or someone's role, but we can be assured that God is working through them to do something good.   

The next time we are tempted to write someone off as purposeless, unhelpful, or just plain awful, let us remember the story of David and the humble spider.  Rather than dismissing the person, we can pray for God to help us understand their goodness and their purpose in the world.  And when we are blessed with a glimpse of the work that God is doing through them, let us repent of our hardheartedness and give thanks for their life.  For it is when we all work for God's good purposes, then the world can be transformed.   And even a spider has a place in God's great choir.

 

Prayer

Creator, thank you for making all that is.   Help me understand that while I may not understand everything and everyone's purpose, they are part of your good plan.   I ask that you give me sharp eyes and an open heart so that I may see your purposes being worked out in unexpected places.  Amen.