Jewel # 303 (Nov. 26, 2017)

“And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWLS.”

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren

The Slippery Eel

“Ask now . . . and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.”

(Job 12:7-8)

Although they are so long and thin that they look like snakes, eels are actually fish.  They have tiny scales embedded in a smooth, slimy skin.  They usually grow to about three feet long, but larger ones may grow to five or six feet long.

Male eels spend most of their lives in rivers near the ocean; females go upriver to streams or lakes.  After two or three years in freshwater, both males and females head for the ocean at spawning time in the fall.  Those in landlocked lakes have a difficult time beginning their journey.  They leave the lake in great numbers, wriggling their way for a day or two across fields and ground wet with rain or dew until they find a stream that leads to the ocean.  God has equipped them with special gills that hold enough moisture while out of water on this part of their trip.

When the eels reach a stream, they swim downstream, joining others on the way.  Many of them are caught in wire traps or nets by people who like them for food.  Both European and North American eels that make it to the ocean begin a long migration to the breeding grounds in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda where females deposit thousands of eggs deep below the ocean surface.  Here many miles of seaweed are teeming with food which will provide for the needs of baby eels that will appear the following spring.  After spawning, the parent eels die.

When the eggs hatch, the young eels are about one-quarter-inch long and are thin and transparent.  They rise to the surface where they feed for about a year.  The North American eels begin the long trip back to the home of their parents.  The European eels remain another year to gain the necessary strength for their journey, which will take about three years.  When both species reach the stream of their parent, they are still  long, thin and transparent and are called elvers.  Just like their parents, the males remain in tidal waters, and the females go far inland—the cycle continuing just as God designed it.

How can these little, inexperienced eels reach their destinations with no parents to guide them?  The answer is exactly what the Bible tells us of every creature in the seas: "These wait all upon Thee” (Psalm 104:27).  He gives them the instinct to follow the paths He has marked out.

And the Lord has a pathway for every boy and girl called “the path of life,” which is the way to heaven and everlasting joy.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  If we accept Him as our Saviour, then we are sure of being on the right path where He can teach us His way.

Love you all - Grandpa    

Jewel # 302 (Nov. 21, 2017)

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 Agouti of Central America

“Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done,

and Thy thoughts which are to usward.”

Psalm 40:5)

Central America is home for many kinds of wildlife, including large and small animals.  One of these small ones is the agouti, also known as the guatuga.  Most of these live in Costa Rica, but some live in South America as well.

The agouti is a harmless rodent about the size of a rabbit.  If it hears strange noises or spots an enemy, such as a jaguar, coati, or vicious monkey, it gives a special alarm call to others nearby.  At the same time it “freezes" as still as a statue or will dash for cover, zigzagging through the trees.  The Creator has provided the agouti with strong, long legs, which it uses to move quickly when threatened.

This rather pretty little animal, with a very short tail or no tail at all, has large, bulging eyes, a pointed head and blunt nose.  Its small rounded ears are always standing upright when it is awake, which accounts for its keen sense of hearing.  Generally it has brown or blackish-brown fur.  These animals have longer legs than rabbits.  

The agouti lives in dense forests and usually makes its home in a sheltered spot under tree roots, between rocks or in a hollow log.  This peaceful creature hunts in daylight for its food consisting mostly of wild avocados or other fruit, nuts, leaves, roots or stems of good-tasting shrubs.  Unlike most animals, its two babies in the litter are already covered with hair when born, and their eyes are fully open.  The young can take care of themselves soon after birth, almost immediately beginning to eat plants, but they usually remain with the parents for several weeks.

Natives consider the agouti a helpful friend, because it aids in starting new trees to grow after a forest fire or damaging wind has raged through their parts of the country.  Since this animal likes acorns and other nuts, it buries large numbers of them in the ground, expecting to return later to dig them up.  However, like squirrel and chipmunks which do the same thing, it often forgets where some are buried.  In a short time these take root, and soon new trees are started.

These rather cute little animals are another example of the wonderful works of the Lord God, the Creator.  We are told in the Bible that He is always looking over all His creation and caring for it.  He has a special place in His caring heart for every boy and girl, man and woman, as it tells us in our opening verse.  Yes, He has loving thoughts of you.  Do you have loving thoughts of Him?  He wants you to know His love and invites you to accept Him as your Saviour.  Have you done this?      

Love you all - Grandpa  

Jewel # 301 (Nov. 12, 2017)

Honey-guide gird

Honey Badger

“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

An Amazing Combination

“How sweet are Thy words unto my taste!

Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”

(Psalm 119:103)

Many unusual birds and animals live in the country of Kenya in Africa.  An amazing combination that works together is a seagull sized bird, with dark brown wings and a snow-white body, and a four-footed animal with long, dark-gray fur, having a narrow white border and short black legs.  These are the honey-guide bird and the honey badger, also called the ratel.  Both of these creatures like wild honey and work together to get it.

When the honey-guide bird is flying through the forests and hears a loud humming of bees, she knows a nest is nearby in the side of a split rock or perhaps in a decaying tree trunk.  Immediately she flies to where  she knows a honey badger will be found, and she chatters noisily to attract his attention.  Then she flies in the direction of the swarm of bees, making sure the badger  is following.  They may have to go quite a distance, but both know the treat that will be at the end of the trip.

When they get to the swarm of bees, the honey badger starts tearing the honeycomb apart, with his sharp claws and teeth.  The bees begin buzzing angrily about and swarming over him.  But he isn’t afraid of them, because their stingers can’t get through his long, loose fur.

What about the bird?  She waits patiently, for it is not the honey she wants; she’s after the waxy honey comb that stores the honey.  But this will not be available until the badger has first licked out the honey.  Eventually she gets the honeycomb and enjoys her treat after the badger has finished and gone on his way.  Both will be ready to do it again the next time there is an opportunity.

Sometimes when a native hunter sees the bird leading a badger, he knows what’s going on and will frighten the animal away.  Then the bird accepts him as a substitute with the same results.  The man gets the honey, and the bird gets her fill of the wax that she can handle with a digestive system that breaks down and welcomes the sweet food, usually accompanied by a number of bees eaten as the same time.

We know that when the Creator first brought bees, birds and animals into the world, they all lived together peacefully.  It was the disobedience of Adam and Eve that brought sin into the world, with many problems and sorrows for all creatures of the world.

But God has promised a happy life in heaven for those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour.  Heaven is His home where no sin or unhappiness of any kind will ever come.

Will you be there too? 

Love you all - Grandpa 

Jewel # 300 (Nov. 5, 2017)

“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

Just How Bad Are Wolverines?

“Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us 

wiser than the fowls of heaven?”

(Job 35:11)

A number of years ago we reviewed the life of a wolverine, and from information available then we said, “The wolverine is a wicked destroyer.”  We also called it “a bad-tempered beast.” But since that time, scientists have studied this animal more thoroughly.  Now many agree that, although it can be vicious and frightening, it does have some good qualities too.  We’ll look at some of these.

A member of the weasel family, it is related to badgers, skunks and others.  This dark brown, lively animal is about three feet long, plus an eight-inch tail.  It looks something like a miniature bear, except for its bushy fur and pointed face.  It is one of the most powerful animals for its size in the world.  Its north American homeland is in many of the wooded areas on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, as well as Alaska.  The wolverine is also found in Europe and Asia.

Until a more compete study was made, it had the reputation of being a vicious killer of small-and medium-sized animals and birds.  But in their interesting research, it was discovered that this is only true when the wolverine is extremely hungry.  It should actually be called a scavenger, which is an animal whose main food is animals or birds already dead or injured.

Following that discovery, it was pointed out by the researchers that it is really a vey helpful animal, by cleaning forests and fields of dead creatures (much like what crows and vultures do).  To really appreciate this, we need to keep in mind that a dead fox, squirrel, coyote, or even small bird soon decays.  These carcasses attract flies and insects that can carry harmful bacteria and diseases to many places, causing sickness and death to other animals, birds and even people.

But there’s no denying that a hungry wolverine, finding a way to break into a trapper’s unoccupied cabin, will gobble up any food it can reach. That, of course, doesn’t make them very popular with the trappers, nor does their making a meal out of animals caught in traps and ruining the valuable furs.  So its easy to see how these lively animals have gotten a bad reputation.

We might ask, “Will the Creator allow this to go on forever?” The Bible provides the answer, telling us, “By one man, Adam, sin entered into the world, and death by sin” (Romans 5:12).  There is a time coming when those who accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour will find that “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death” (Revelation 21:4).  This promise is only to those who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour.  Can you claim that promise?  

Love you all - Grandpa