Over the years, I've been a collector of a wide variety of things including wicker baskets of all sorts, old bottles, glass insulators, brass stuff, hurricane lamps, black and white cows, rocking horses and owls. Collectors can be very serious about the items they treasure and typically, the items have a special meaning or of special interest. In my case, owls were the subject of my first collection. I really don't remember why I chose owl objects to collect, but, over time, I collected several. Then, my interest in owls was replaced with something else. I still run across owls when I unpack boxes of knick-knacks, or Christmas decor, bringing back special memories of the one who gave the owl to me. Along with the treasure of the special memories, owls make me think about wisdom...I don't know why, but even the whimsical owl has a look of knowing...
Owls have been a symbol of wisdom in our modern culture, in part, due to the influence of their appearance in story books, like Aesop's fable, The Grasshopper and the Owl.
Owl holds a position of importance in Hundred Acre Wood, of Winnie the Pooh fame, even though at times, his advice is a bit suspect.
It is hard to say exactly why the Owl has been chosen as the representative of wisdom. Some say it is the wide eyes of the owl that gives the "appearance of wisdom" much like the gray-headed elder is often deemed the "wise old man," as if wide eyes and aged gray heads are the hallmark of wisdom (if only it were true!)
Regardless of the image used to portray her, Wisdom is respected and sought after. While a trip to the woods to find the owl may work in story books, the only true source of Wisdom is found in God. Godly wisdom may seem to unattainable to us, however, scriptures encourage us that not only should we seek wisdom, wisdom can be obtained!!! A quick search for wisdom in the scriptures will reveal a deep and wide treasure of wisdom related verses, and most importantly, this...you only need to ask for it!
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
James 1:5 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/jas.1.5.nkjv
There is an "if" included with this powerful promise....
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:6-8 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/jas.1.6-8.nkjv
Need wisdom (and who doesn't!!)? Ask God. But if you doubt, you won't get it. Got it?
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