Nicole Darrah recently reported the story of a Saint Bernard dog up in New York state which quite literally stuck his nose in where it did not belong! “Ruckus”, as he has affectionately been dubbed, had clearly found his way on to a porcupine's bad side. The encounter apparently unfolded sometime back in September.
Fortunately, this bit of bad luck was counteracted by a stroke of good luck a few days later, when the folks at the Humane Society of Greater Rochester took him in so he could receive the necessary treatment. They also found him a new home!
This may not have been Ruckus' first run-in with a porcupine. Not only did he have quills covering his face, jowls, and nose; he even had them deep down inside his mouth.
The article goes on to cite National Geographic, telling us that porcupines are the "prickliest of rodents". In fact, a single animal can have more than 30,000 quills! And every single one of them can be used quite effectively for personal defense. And while it is not true that they can be shot from a porcupine’s body like arrows, quills nonetheless detach quite easily when touched.
Alas, however, all’s well that ends well! The folks who helped Ruckus out were quoted at the end of the article as saying, "We are so happy for Ruckus, and hope that he never crosses the path of a porcupine again." I'll just say "Amen" to that!
Of course, dogs are not the only ones to stick their noses in where they probably shouldn’t! We humans are pretty good at it as well! In fact, we have multiple idioms for the matter – from “being nosey” to “nosing around” to “nosing in”!
When a person is said to be nosey, it simply asserts that he or she is being unduly inquisitive. In plain English, a nosey person is someone who all too frequently interferes in other people’s business, especially when this business does not concern them in the first place.
Of course, individuals who pry into another’s business customarily do so by just plain asking far too many personal questions. And usually, after all the questions, comes the unwanted person opinions to boot! All of this tends to happen just before they pass along whatever tidbit of information they have gleaned to some equally nosey counterpart.
Sadly, we all know this sort of person. Even worse, if we would be honest, sometimes we all even act like this sort of person!
Given that this matter of nosiness is such a pervasive issue in our midst, we should rightfully ask whether the Bible has anything to say about it or not? And the answer is… “Yes, it does!” For while so many of our colloquial phrases about being nosey may not be found in the Bible, the subject at hand certainly is.
In his First New Testament Letter to the young pastor Timothy (chapter 5, verse 13), the Apostle Paul touches on this subject. He addresses those who “get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”
Paul’s immediate context is certain idle widows where young Timothy ministers. But clearly, he had us all in mind. It is God's way of reminding everyone who is a believer that none of us are to behave in such a manner. For in truth, any of us can fall prey to idleness and lapse into behavior that is harmful and destructive. Instead, Paul implies in verse 14 that we should find something worthwhile to do instead of nosing around and thereby giving the Devil opportunity.
Elsewhere, Paul even equates gossip (defined as repetitious idle talk and rumormongering) with all sorts of sinful endeavors that lead to spiritual death among unrepentant people! In his New Testament Letter to the Romans (chapter 1, verses 28-32), he states:
28Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Wow! It seems that God is just as concerned over nosiness and gossip as He is over those things so many of us consider far worse. If this be the case, then, let us be careful about being too nosey! It may seem harmless enough, but the Bible associates it with evil and spiritual death.
I’m glad Ruckus was rescued. I’m glad the quills in his muzzle all got removed. Otherwise, he might literally have starved to death. Perhaps we all should learn a lesson here. Sticking our nose in where it doesn’t belong can be painful. Even worse, it can even be deadly!
STORY SOURCE: https://www.foxnews.com/us/saint-bernard-gets-on-porcupines-bad-side. Nicole Darrah, the author, covers breaking and trending news for FoxNews.com. She can be followed on Twitter @nicoledarrah.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/niv/1_timothy/5.htm and
https://biblehub.com/niv/romans/1.htm.
SEE ALSO: https://www.gotquestions.org/being-nosey.html.