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
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