dumber than rocks

Drill Sergeants show a lot of creativity in their unceasing quest to find new ways to belittle recruits. In addition to the nuance of his pond scum metaphors - there was top-floating, bottom laying, and neutral-buoyancy scum, all with detailed, colorful descriptions - my Drill Sergeant compared us to various dense, weighty inanimate objects. We were stupid as a bag of hammers, or dumber than a box of rocks.

I thought back to those days when I read this morning from the book of Nahum, where the prophet wrote these words in 1:5-8: 

"The mountains quake before him

and the hills melt away.

The earth trembles at his presence,

the world and all who live in it.

Who can withstand his indignation?

Who can endure his fierce anger?

His wrath is poured out like fire;

the rocks are shattered before him.

"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.

He cares for those who trust in him,

but with an overwhelming flood

he will make an end of Nineveh;

he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness."

Even mountains know enough to fear God; even rocks are shattered by his disappointment. This wonderful, good God who protects and cares for his people won't be patient forever. Eventually, as with Nineveh, he will make an end of those who continually offend him.

So when I do that, I really am dumber than rocks. That's how foolish it is to disobey, yet we do it anyway. Only humans have the arrogant stupidity to defy God, or to mock him.

So this morning I'm praying for wisdom. I don't want to be dumber than the hills and mountains. I want instead to take refuge in the One who Nahum says will take care of me if I only trust him. I want to remember that God only wants what's good for me, and that all he commands is just what I would choose anyway if I knew everything he knows.