We Can't Outsmart God

Our cat, Osha, has a fixation for a particular stuffed hamster named Stealth. Stealth was given last Christmas to my son, Tim, by his younger brother, Matthew. Matthew bought him for Tim because he reminded him of the likeable hamster named Rhino in the movie Bolt. Tim decided to put Stealth on his computer desk, within easy reach to juggle while trying to solve a difficult math problem.

It wasn't long, however, before Osha noticed the cute, stuffed hamster on Tim's desk and decided to run off with him when Tim left the room. I found the hamster later in my shoe closet. Of course, we reprimanded Osha, but it seemed to have little effect. She continued stealing the hamster whenever she could get away with it. Eventually she got smarter and started stealing the hamster at night when Tim was sleeping, so she couldn't be caught running around the house with the forbidden hamster in her mouth. In the morning, Tim and I would find Stealth sitting in weird places, like the cat's food dish. We were both thankful that Osha never left the hamster in her kitty litter box.

Tim tried to outsmart Osha by hiding Stealth in different places in the house downstairs, but Osha discovered every one of Tim's hiding places. Finally, Tim gave up and hid the hamster in his closet at night and shut the door. Well, that proved to be a terrible mistake because the cat terrorized his room at night trying to look for Stealth. Tim woke up from his sound sleep to find his room in disarray and an insane cat.

Then Matthew came up with a brilliant solution: while we were shopping for costumes at Value Village, Matthew noticed a used hamster ball for a couple of dollars, and suggested I buy it for Stealth. I did so with a smirk on my face, knowing we'll have finally outsmarted Osha.

Now Stealth is safe and sound in his clear plastic ball on the floor of Tim's bedroom. Osha can see, but not touch. I can't help but chuckle to myself whenever I go into Tim's room and see the hamster staring out of that ball. There is no doubt Osha is smart, but she can no way outsmart her human masters no matter how hard she might try.

Some people in this world are like Osha. They might think they are very clever, so they try to outsmart God, but God always catches them. I wonder if at times God chuckles to Himself too at people's foolishness.

"He frustrates the plans of schemers

 so the work of their hands will not succeed.

He traps the wise in their own cleverness

 so their cunning schemes are thwarted.

They find it is dark in the daytime,

and they grope at noon as if it were night.

Job 5:12-14 (NLT)

I think He does.