Jewel # 117 (July 29, 2012)

"And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts,

in that day when I make up

MY JEWELS."

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren,

Crafty Ginger

The family had enjoyed a delicious dinner of fried chicken.  The children wiggled and shifted on their chairs as they waited.  They, as well as their dog Ginger, knew the routine - a chapter read from the Bible and prayer after the meal.  Petted and spoiled as she was, Ginger had some manners.  She sat during the dinner fairly patiently, only now and then licking her chops and whining softly to let them know she was there.  After dinner the table was cleared, the chicken bones collected in a paper bag and everything taken into the kitchen.

At last the family kneeled down for prayer.  In an instant, Ginger was heard padding across the kitchen floor right to the bag of bones.  Rattle, rattle, crunch, crunch!  Ginger paused and scampered back into the dining room for a peek.  Yes, still on their knees!  She hurried back to the bones before prayer time, her "safe time," was over.  Naughty Ginger!

"She thinks she's a person" laugher one of the children.  "She acts like a bad girl!"

We smile at Ginger's crafty trick which got her a good scolding.  But are not our own ways just as foolish?  Can we hide a lie or naughty deed from God?  "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).     

Ginger's family chuckled at her tricks, but does God think our sinful ways are funny?  "Fools make a mock at sin" (Proverbs14:9).  There are no "cute little sins."  Our loving Saviour had to bleed an die for every single sin.  When this lesson was realized by one little girl we know, she exclaimed, "Oh, Mommy!  Did He do that for ME?"  Have you understood this wonderful truth that He died for you?  Have you come to the Lord Jesus to have your sins washed away?

Love you all,

Grandpa 

Jewel # 116 (July 15, 2012)

And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts,

in that day when I make up 

MY JEWELS."

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren,

A Spring Calamity

When we were visiting with some of our family in early spring, we were fascinated by a robin's nest very close to their kitchen window.  The mother and  father robin took turns sitting on the nest.  Soon the eggs hatched and the parents started bringing food to the hatched babies.  All day long they were very carefully feeding their tiny babies that only had a little fuzz on them.  In time, real feathers would develop and grow, as the babies grew bigger.

Before we left for home a week later, we could see that the babies had grown quite a bit.  They had their little beaks up in the air, wide open and waiting to receive food.

About a week after we had been home, I was talking to our daughter on the phone and asked her about the baby birds.  "Did the little robins learn to fly yet?"

"Oh," she said, "the most terrible thing happened this morning when I was watching them.  A big, black crow landed on the robins' nest and picked up all three baby robins in its beak and flew away with them!  I'm so glad the children were in school, as they would have been terribly upset!"

This was a terrible calamity, especially when the mother and father robin had taken such good care of their babies.  It makes us sad to think about it.  But those of us who read the Bible know that when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the results of their sin affected not only all people born into the world ever after, but it also affected all of God's beautiful creation, including the plants and all creatures.  As a result, many creatures in the wild now kill to eat, including crows, and God sees it all.  But He also sees the little sparrow  that might be in trouble.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your 

Father . . . Fear ye not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows."

(Matthew 10:29,31) 

There was not much that could be done to help the poor mother and father robins.  But you and I have a loving Father in heaven who sees and knows everything that happens to you, and me too, and He cares.  He loves us so much that He is willing to help us,  no matter what the problem might be.  He wants us to call to Him when we need His help, even though He has already seen our problem.  He says, "Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24).  And how good it is for us to thank Him right away too, because we know He is going to help us.      

I love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 115 (July 8, 2012)

       

"And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up MY JEWELS."

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren,

The Giant Panda

"Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world."

(Acts 15:18)

There are two varieties of pandas, but they are very different from each other.  The lesser panda is small and raccoon-like with long, reddish-brown fur and a long, ringed tail.  Its home is in the Himalayan Mountains near India.  The more interesting panda looks like a big stuffed toy and seems like a cross between a bear and a raccoon.  This one is the giant or great panda.  It also lives in the high Himalayas along the border of China and Tibet.

The giant panda has a round, white head with jet-black ears and nose and black circles around its eyes that look like they've been painted on.  It looks cuddly and is loved by people everywhere.  When fully grown, it is almost five feet long and almost two feet high at the shoulder - about the size of a small bear with just a stump of a tail.  The cubs are especially cute and lovable, and their mothers carefully watch them.

There are five kinds of bamboo that they will eat.  They seem to know which parts of these plants have the most food value.  At certain seasons they eat just the leaves and stalks and at other seasons only the plant stems.  Having big appetities, they munch on about a hundred pounds of bamboo every day.

Living in such a small area in this remote part of the world, pandas usually hide when people approach, so they are not seen on the wild very often.  The Chinese people love them and are concerned because they may become extinct.

In 1972 the Chinese wanted to send a complimentary git to the President of the United States.  They selected a pair of these animals and shipped them to the Washington, D.C. zoo.  To help preserve these lovable animals, arrangements were made to place more of them in zoos in other cities as well, and this has helped to multiply their numbers.

Although most people did not know about the great Panda for many years, it has always been under the watchful care of its Creator, as the opening verse of this article tells us.  Another Bible verse says: "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest [displayed] in His sight" (Hebrews 4:13). 

If God thinks about and cares for animals in far-off remote mountains, just think how much more He must care for you.  This care is shown by His great love to all people in sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world to "give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).  If you will come to Him as a sinner and tell Him you are sorry for your sins and accept Him as your Saviour, you will become His very own forever.  If you have not done this as yet, He invites you to come to Him today.  

Did you know a newborn panda is 900 times smaller than its mother. 

Love you all

Grandpa