Press Forward

Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.

Hosea 6:3

Typically I prefer warm fuzzy mammals from the animal kingdom, but the ungainly, aptly but repugnantly named dung beetle has gained my admiration. Its sheer size caught my eye the first time I saw one bumbling around the home of my hostess. In it's own grotesque way, it's kind of cute. What really won me over though was spending one afternoon waiting (always waiting here in Africa!) for others to finish their business and stumbling across a determined dung beetle rolling it's ball of dung uphill, over rocks, and finally depositing the precious load where apparently my little friend thought it belonged.

We sing a song in church with the lyrics, “Never, never, never, never, never, never, never give up.” I could just imagine the tencious creature humming the lyrics in mumbly beetle language under it's breath as it toiled away under the hot African sun. God gave us His beautiful creation to lead us to and teach us about Him. I am thankful for the unattractive but instructive dung beetle.

How much more have I learned from my beautiful African brothers and sisters. “Chubekele phambili” means “press forward” in siSwati. I have been so humbled, so convicted, and so blessed as I witness them pursuing the Lord, and trusing Him, over many mountains and through many trials. Help me Lord to uncomplaininly, trustingly, faithfully follow their shining example as we all follow YOUR example pressing forward with your cross towards Golgotha, and then to eternal glory.