Jewel # 425 (Nov. 25, 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  

Mini Horses

“Every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind.”  James 3:7

The above Bible verse tells us that people can tame all kinds of creatures.  We might ask, “How could men and women, so much smaller than an elephant, a bear, or a whale, ever persuade these and other wild animals to do their amazing tricks or even become friendly pets?”

It can be done because it was God’s purpose to have it this way.  Man is God’s highest creation, and it pleased Him to let man have dominion over everything else, as the Bible tells us: “God said, let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let man have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Geneses 1:26).  No animal ever showed fear or hatred toward humans until sin came into the world.  Since then, they are no longer naturally friendly, so it takes patience and skillful training to teach them obedience.

Speaking of pets, how would you like to have a horse sit on your lap, or have one or two of them make themselves at home in your living room?  Well, that's just what is going on in many places today.  However, these are not horses you can saddle for riding or use for farm work.  They are what is know as “mini” horses and they look like living toys.  Some are so small they could walk right under a race horse and not bump their heads.  Breeders who raise them have a rule that they cannot be called “mini” if they are more than 34 inches high (about the size of a big dog), and some are much smaller than that.

These little ponies should not be confused with Shetland ponies, which are much bigger.  The “minis” are a friendly group all by themselves, and the Creator has allowed men to develop them over the years through what is known as a “breeding process.”  But the minis are true horses and come in the same variety of colours as their larger relatives.

They make wonderful pets and love to be around children, and they will play actively with each other.  But they are sometimes surprisingly bold, too, and if a full-sized horse seems to be intruding, “minis” will snort, toss their heads and perhaps stand on their hind feet in such a threatening way that the big horse is glad to get out of the way in a hurry.

These unusual little animals are usually just for people who can pay thousand of dollars for them, but most owners are happy to show their pets.  Harnesses are often made to fit these little horses so they can be in parades or animal shows, pulling a small cart or wagon, sometimes with a small child riding in it.

Does God care about these “mini” horses?  One Bible verse that tells us that He does is: “In Whose hand is the soul (life) of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10).

Love you all - Grandpa     

Jewel # 424 (Nov. 18, 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

Those Pesky Rats (Part 3)

”The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto 

the going down thereof.” Psalm 50:1  

In preceding issues, we have mentioned rats in many places of the world.  One species that lives in Australia is known as the stick-nest rat because it makes its home out of great piles of sticks, sometimes three feet high and as much as four feet wide.  In windy areas they place stones on top to hold it all together.  The instincts God has given them taught them to do this.

Another that lives in Australia is the water rat, which has partially webbed feet.  It doesn’t bother people much, relying more on fish, frogs, water birds and shellfish for food.  Its strong jaws can break most shells.  However, if some are too tough, it lays them out in the hot sun, which soon causes then to open, and the rat then eats the exposed food.

Part of the damage done by rats is due to their constant gnawing—chewing on books, furniture, walls, lead pipes, plastics and even elecetrical wires (on which they sometime electrocute themselves).  The reason for all this is not so much to eat what they gnaw on, but because their front teeth keep growing just like a beaver’s do and if these teeth were not worn down by constant gnawing, they would grow too big for their mouths.

All rats seem clever in avoiding poisons and traps, but their numbers are partly controlled by such means.  In addition, they are a prey for dogs and cats, foxes, coyotes, weasels, hawks, owls, snakes and other animals and birds.  If this were not the case, their numbers would soon overrun the world.

Do you wonder why God allows these rodents to thrive, multiply and be such spoilers?  One reason definitely is that they provide a much needed food supply for the other creatures mentioned above.  Another reason might be to reminds that sin is responsible for all the evil throughout the world, just as rats and mice are present in all lands.  These undesirable little animals come under the term “unclean” as defined in the Bible  (Leviticus 11:27-29).  God’s people in Bible times were instructed to avoid them.  This tells us that God is not pleased when a person is involved with evil things.  If tempted by evil things, the Bible instructs us to “enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not into the way of evil men.  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away”  (Proverbs 4:14-15).  These are two important verses for all of us.

The time is coming (known as the millennium) when these animals will no longer be filthy or destructive, but instead a happy part of God’s creation.  Those who now love the Lord Jesus and know Him as their Saviour will be taken before then into heaven where sin can never come, and they will look down on a cleansed earth, rejoicing that it, too, is enjoying the light of His love and goodness.

Will you be included with those in heaven?

Love you all - Grandpa           

Jewel # 423 (Nov. 11, 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

Those Pesky Rats! (Part 2)

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.  Do not I fill heaven and earth?”  Jeremiah 23:24

In spite of their bad traits, rats are clever little animals, and many of their abilities show how the Creator has given them special skills.  There are hundreds of species of them, all doing their mischief mostly in the dark.  But as mentioned in the above Bible verse, there is One who sees them in spite of the darkness just as He sees each of us every moment of our lives.  He is “beholding the evil and the good,” as another Bible verse says.  

Nearly all rats have a sharply pointed nose, beady eyes, small rounded ears, long whiskers which help them feel their way around in the dark and long scaly  tails.  Best know is the brown or Norway rat which is quite common in America.  It is about 16 inches long, including its tail.  In the springtime these frequently dig burrows with separate living and eating areas, all connected by tunnels leading outside.  With the first frost they move into the lower parts of the buildings where people soon become aware of them, under floors, inside walls, in cellars and even in sewers.

The brown rats in China and Russia are larger and fiercer than those in America, and their burrows frequently undermine buildings, causing them to collapse.  In addition to the brown or Norway rat, another common one is the black or roof rat which is smaller and darker than the Norway rat. It gets its name because it prefers to nest in the upper stories and attics of buildings and sometimes in trees.  Although called black, it is really a gray-black colour on top and much lighter on the underparts.

It is a great climber and jumper and scampers rapidly up trees, drain pipes and cables, as well as brick and concrete walls.  Some prefer an outdoor life and make their nests in rocks or bushes as well as in burrows.

If you have rats or mice in your home, you know what a nuisance they can be, not only in the way they eat, but also by keeping people awake at night and leaving their tell-tale tracks around.  They make us think of the Bible verse, “One sinner destroys much good” (Ecclesiastes 9:18), because all of them spoil more that they eat.  They will even chew up books, leather goods and clothing, as well as being pests to farmers by raiding chicken coops to get at the eggs and young chicks.  As mentioned in earlier accounts, they raise large families and a small number moving onto any property can soon become a major problem.

In the next issue we will consider the Creator’s purpose in making them part of His creation.  Meanwhile, let us remember the Bible verse, “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm” (Jeremiah 27:5).  He has a purpose for every thing He has created even though we may not always easily see it. 

(To be continued)

Love you all - Grandpa