Jewel # 397 (April 1, 2020)

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

Weasels Are Cute but have Bad tempers

Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways.”  
Revelation 15:3

The three most common weasels in North America are the least, the short-tailed and the long-tailed.  The least is the smallest of all, weighing just a few ounces when fully grown and seldom more that six inches long plus a one-inch stubby tail.  It is quite pretty—its back is a light brown, changing to white at its throat and underneath parts.  During winter, those in the far north turn completely white, but those in the south become a spotted brown mixed with the white.  These are provisions of the Creator to conceal them from enemies.

This little one is a real help to mankind, because its appetite for mice and other small, destructive animals helps to keep these under control.  Mice are its main food and are easily caught; this weasel is so small it can follow them through any hole.

The short-tailed is often called an ermine.  This one is twice the size of the least.  During summer, it is a soft brown along the back and sides and creamy white underneath.  Strangely, it is the only one with brown feet.  When it turns all white in winter, it is hunted for its beautiful fur.

The ermine also hunts mice, rats, moles, squirrels, birds and snakes.  The Creator has given it instincts to make rooms in its burrow for storing food for cold winter days.

The long-tailed is the largest of all, measuring up to 18 inches long, plus a black-tipped tail another nine inches long.  Even so, the males weigh only about a pound and the females even less.  This one makes its home throughout North America, except for hot desert areas.  The long-tailed hunts day and night for its food and is a great climber, often chasing its prey out to the end of a tree branch.  It is the fiercest of the three and will even attack a dog or a man if cornered.

Bold hunters themselves, all weasels have numerous enemies, including hawks, owls, foxes, wildcats and coyotes.  But with their thin bodies and speed, they usually escape by diving into a nearby burrow, a narrow crevice, or under a pile of brush.

All these animals are unaware of God’s care, and He does not hold them accountable.  However, every human has been given an intellect and a conscience, and God has given us the Bible for a guide.  We are told: “Let them . . . commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19).  This means we should not only trust our earthly lives to Him, but also, most importantly, accept Him as our Saviour to have eternal life safe in Him.

Have you done this?

Love you all - Grandpa