What does God say?
…for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.—James 1:4
The beaver is an animal that works very hard. Beavers build their homes, or dams, in streams and ponds. When a beaver wants to build a dam, it waddles on its short legs to find a small tree. Then the beaver begins gnawing at the tree trunk with its long, sharp front teeth. In just a few minutes, a busy beaver can cut down a trunk that is five inches thick. Then the beaver trims off the small branches, cuts the trunk in shorter lengths, and drags the heavy limbs back to the building site. Carefully, the beaver weaves sticks, branches, reeds, and small tree trunks together, then fills in the spaces with mud to make its dam secure. Even a good dam gets damaged, so the beaver must constantly be on the watch to repair holes caused by weather or other animals. Beavers never quit working. If they did, their homes might break apart and float away!
Just like the busy beaver, we sometimes have jobs that take time to finish. If we quit when we get tired or bored, the job will not get done. The Bible calls working hard and not giving up, endurance. If we have endurance, we will finish what we begin. We can be proud about doing good work, just like the busy beaver!
What do you say?
• Look at the picture. How many trees have these busy beavers cut down?
• What kind of work is hard for you to finish?
• How does a beaver build a new dam?
• Why do you think God wants us to have endurance?
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