Are We too Proud to Accept God's Provision

I had been hiking alone for almost an hour when I encountered the first human life. Three girls had huddled around something on the ground and were simultaneously screaming in fear and laughing in amusement at whatever they had encircled. As I got closer I saw that it was a crab. This wasn’t the first crab I had encountered on the trail. They liked to sit and warm themselves in the sunny spots just off the beaten path and would often scurry away when someone approached. But this crab was unique and its peculiarity had made it the center of attention. On its back, rather than the typical hermit crab shell, it had a 1/3 inch thick PVC pipe cap. It was peculiar indeed! In the middle of the forest this strange natural and synthetic harmony. It was a odd union but one that probably left the crab more protected than any organic shell could have. Shells are tough but aren’t immune to shattering if smashed hard enough against a rock by a hungry bird. But I’ve got serious doubts that a bird could bust this crabs PVC protection. God tells us in the Bible that He cares for the small creatures of the world and by implication that would mean God knew this crab along with his crabby friends. God had provided for this crab but in a way that was non-typical. He looked unusual, he was a peculiar crab, so much so that little girls pointed and laughed at him, but he was safer in the provision and protection that God had provided him with because he was not too proud to accept it. It is unquestionable that God also cares for us and calls us to trust Him for our care. But is it the case that we are sometimes less trusting than the crab? We pray that God will give us the things we need but do we reject His provision when it doesn’t come in the form we expected? Are we too proud to live in a peculiar way, blind to the fact that the peculiar way is the surest protection? Do we reject the harmony of the physical and spiritual to try to “make it on our own” like all our human friends in their shell of perceived provision? God’s protection is the safest. Yes, it looks peculiar to everyone else. People may laugh and point at you for being different. But when danger comes, you’ll be safe in the provision of the LORD.