The Ostrich

I am fascinated by the thousands of bird species God put on this earth. Many are incredibly beautiful and the graceful way they take to the skies is breathtaking. Scripture is filled with verses about birds (nearly 300), with doves being mentioned t

he most. One such bird that is indicated–and not in a favorable light—is the ostrich. 

What a fascinating bird! Ostriches are very large, flightless birds with strong legs, long necks, and huge eyes. Contrary to popular belief, they do not bury their heads in the sand, instead they crouch down or lay down level with the ground to escape predators.

Ostriches are first mentioned in the book of Job when God is responding to Job’s questions about his dire circumstances. God answers Job with questions of His own regarding the intricacies of His creation and design, graciously pointing out that He is God and Job is not.

“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,

     but are they the pinions and plumage of love?

For she leaves her eggs to the earth

     and lets them be warmed on the ground,

forgetting that a foot may crush them

     and that the wild beast may trample them. 

She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;

     though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear, 

because God has made her forget wisdom 

and given her no share in understanding.

When she rouses herself to flee,

     she laughs at the horse and his rider" (Job 39:13-18).

These verses paint a less-than-stellar picture. The ostrich is a proud bird, more concerned with her beautiful feathers than her young. She will lay her eggs on the ground and leave them unprotected to be trampled by people’s feet and wild beasts. The passage also states that she is cruel with her young as if they were not her own. Lamentations 4:3 reinforces this fact: 

“Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young; but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.”

While these facts are alarming, and leave me wondering who’s going to take care of the eggs and hatchlings; they are not the focus of the Job passage. Verse 17 gives the reason the ostrich is the way she is, “... because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding.” What? Why? Why would He create ostriches this way? If I follow this verse to its logical conclusion, then I’m led to believe that if He made the ostrich the way she is, He will take care of her young when she fails to do so. It's the same message He gives to Job:  He is in control.

I love birds. I have used the username, Mommabird, on numerous occasions. I have three chicks of my own, two have flown the nest and one remains. While I have thoroughly enjoyed being a mom, no one can truly be prepared for the challenges of motherhood.

I read Job 39 while on a women’s retreat during a particular time in my parenting journey where I was struggling with feelings of failure and regret. One of my daughters was making destructive choices and our entire family dynamic was disrupted. My fragile heart was breaking and crying out to the Lord as a parent, fighting for my daughter and my family. This particular passage about the ostrich leapt out of my Bible—my “mom antenna” was on high alert. I remember being struck by the cruelty and negligence of the ostrich, but all the more that God designed her specifically that way! 

Looking back on my journey as a mom, I hope and pray that I was never cruel to my children, nor more concerned with outward appearance. Though, while not as extreme as the ostrich, I definitely have and will continue to make many parenting mistakes. 

I can say with confidence that despite these mistakes, God is and always has been in control. He has protected my children, provided for them, and pursued them. As much as I would like to, I cannot take credit for how they turned out—good or bad. He graciously gives wisdom to those who ask it of Him, but there are no guarantees any parenting choices will produce well-behaved, perfect children. Entrusting them to God is the best decision we can ever make because regardless of how God made us (with or without wisdom and understanding), He is in total control and will watch over us and our precious children.

Feel free to pray with me:

Father, thank you for teaching us through your Word and through your creation. As a mom, I thank you for enlightening me through the example of the ostrich to remind me that you are in control of my parenting journey—it is not up to me. You are God and I am not. Grant me wisdom to guide my children toward You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.