You all know how much I love goats. And, I happen to know that my little Sophia, while she may be a little ornery at times, is absolutely the best kid ever!
Now, I know that throughout Scripture, goats are often used as a picture of the unrighteous. So, as someone who happens to really like goats, I was especially happy to discover that there is another side to the story.
In Proverbs 30:31, the goat is mentioned in a very different light. When I read J. Vernon McGee’s comments in Thru the Bible, I just had to smile.
He says: “The other animal mentioned in this verse is the goat. The mountain goat is a climber who lives way up in the top of the mountains. He finds both pleasure and safety in his high retreat. The lesson is plain to see. The believer who walks in the high places, as did Habakkuk, will be able to rejoice in the day of trouble.”
That really caught my attention.
McGee then points us to Habakkuk’s words: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.”
As someone who likes goats, this illustration makes my heart glad!
Think about that mountain goat for a moment. It doesn’t stay down in the valley where the path is easy and familiar. It climbs. It goes higher. And somehow, those sure-footed little animals can navigate places that look almost impossible to us.
And I think there is a lesson there for us.
Walking in the “high places” doesn’t mean that life will always be easy. In fact, sometimes God calls us to places that are difficult, unfamiliar, and eve a little intimidating. But He promises to give us the feet we need for the places He calls us to walk.
I think about where God has called me now. I have been called to serve in a city that also happens to appreciate goats! And maybe that’s just another little reminder that God knows exactly what He is doing. I don’t know everything that lies ahead. I don’t know every challenge I will face or every difficult path I may have to climb. But I do know the One who is leading me. And, if He calls me to the mountain, He will give me the feet to climb it.
So, Sophia may be ornery She may occasionally get herself into trouble. But I think I’ll keep looking at her just a little differently now. Every time I see her I can be reminded of this: God doesn’t always call us to stay in the valley. Sometimes He calls us to higher places–and He promises to give us the strength and sure footing to get there. And when the day of trouble comes, may we be able to say with Habakkuk : “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”
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