Jewel # 61 (June 12, 2010)

To my dear grandchildren,

The Tough Seagull

"God . . . [teaches] us more than the beasts of the earth, and [makes] us wiser than the fowls of heaven."
(Job 35:10-11)

Part of the fun of being at the sea shore is watching the seagulls.  They can be seen soaring high in the sky, walking on the sand, or just resting on the water.  Their high-pitched "meews" are loud enough to be heard above the noise of the waves.  Occasionally they will give harsh squawks when they fight over a scrap of food.  There are many varieties of seagulls, but, the herring gull is the most common.  Its head, back and underside are white with partly black wings, and its beak and web-footed legs are orange.

Although they are pretty and fun to watch, they often fight among themselves.  Most are bullies and get into fights with each other by rough pushes with stiff, half-open wings or nasty pecks with their sharp beaks.  But they are part of God's creation in spite of this, and He has made them strong, swift and wise in many ways.  He has also given them great skill in using air currents to glide along tirelessly with their wings outstretched.  Frequently they will stay with a ship for many miles, watching for food scraps.  Although mostly scavengers, they like fresh fish, clams and oysters too.  Unable to break the shell of a clam or oyster, a gull will carry it high in the air and drop it onto a rock to break it open

These birds live in large groups, making nests on the ground where their eggs and chicks attract many enemies.  When a gull discovers an enemy, it gives a loud shriek.  This brings the whole colony rushing at the thief with hooked beaks and club-like wings.  It takes a bold intruder to risk these attacks.  When very small, a hungry baby taps on a red spot on the underside of its parent's beak.  The parent then brings up food for the baby to eat.  They are given more solid food later.

In some ways seagulls remind us of Satan, by seeming to be so attractive when they are actually fierce and aggressive to one another.  Satan makes himself attractive in the things that he offers us, but he is a deceiver and tries to bring evil into the life of every boy and girl.  The Bible says this about him:

"Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). 

Another important warning is given:

"Be sober, be vigilant [watchful]; because your adversary [enemy] the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour [destroy]"
(1 Peter 5:8).

As our opening verse states, God has made us wiser than the fowls.  This God-given wisdom tells us that there is a place of safety from the devil:
  "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10).

Have you made Him your place of safety?  

Jewel # 60 (May 29, 2010)

To my dear grandchildren,

The Peculiar Aardvark

"Thou hast made . . . the earth, and all things that are therein . . . and Thou preservest them all."
(Nehemiah 9:6)

The four - to six-foot long one hundred fifty-pound African aardvark is unlike any other creature in the world.  Its nearest relative might be a pig; in fact, the name aardvark means "earth pig."  It was given this name by Dutch settlers in Africa in the 1600s.  But the aardvark's similarity to a pig is mostly in its long snout, nostrils, brown body and bristly hair.  Its long, upright ears look more like donkey ears, its tail is something like a kangaroo's, and its arched body is not too different from a hyena's.

There are two things the aardvark does very well.  One is finding termite nests, which look like concrete mounds.  Approaching one, the aardvark listens carefully to determine if termites are inside.  Hearing their movement, it tears the mound open with its powerful claws.  Then it laps up the termites with its twelve - to eighteen-inch-long-sticky tongue.

But termites fight back, just like ants fight when their nests are entered!  Both insects have "soldiers" with sharp mandibles, but in attacking the aardvark, they find that its skin is so tough that they cannot bite through it.  In addition, the Creator has provided nostrils and ears that seal tightly when invading insects' nests, so these are protected too.

Aardvarks are also experts at digging.  Their dens are in tunnels about ten feet long with six or more entrances, and this requires lots of digging.  No problem!  Their strong front legs and sharp claws go through even hard dirt faster than men can with shovels.  They stay in these dens during the day and come out at night to raid anthills and termite nests, adding other insects, fruit and gourds to their menu when available.

Babies are born in the den.  They have skin so loose and full of wrinkles that it looks like it is several sizes to big, but they soon fill it out.  To keep her little ones hidden, the mother moves into a new burrow about once a week.  Before long they are taken out to learn how to hunt, and within a year they are on their own.

For all the strange appearance of these animals, they indicate God's pleasure in placing such a great variety of life on the earth at the time of its creation.  For each creature He has provided what is exactly right for its way of life, and He watches over each one all its days.

The Bible tells of something else that brings pleasures to Him:  "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness" (1 Chronicles 29:17).  Is your life pleasing Him?  It can please him only if you have confessed that you are a sinner and have asked the Lord Jesus to forgive and cleanse you, accepting Him as your Saviour.  If you have not done this yet, why not do it right now!

Jewel # 59 (May 10, 2010)

To my dear grandchildren

Who Put the Rings Around Saturn?

The expanses of outer space are filled with wonderful displays of God's creation, but man has been privileged to examine only very few of them.  With the use of space probes and new technology, some parts of our solar system have now been more closely observed, and we are able to learn more of what the Bible means when it says, "One star [is different]" from another star in [its] glory" (1 Corinthians 15:41).

One of these displays is the second-largest planet, Saturn.  This planet is approximately one hundred times the size of the earth and about a billion miles away.  Circling around it is a magnificent halo of rings.  These rings have always been there, but they were not known to astronomers until Galileo discovered them in 1610 with his small telescope.  In recent years, space probes passing Saturn have sent back remarkable close-up photographs of these rings, leaving astronomers puzzled as to how the rings got there and what keeps them in place.

The rings surround the planet at its equator, but they do not touch it.  Their position seems to change as Saturn orbits the sun in an elliptical (oval-shaped) orbit, but they are always parallel to the planet's equator.  There are three major rings consisting of hundreds or even thousands of narrow "ringlets."  It is estimated that there could be as many as ten thousand ringlets, which are probably continuously changing over time.   The three major rings are very wide.  Astronomers say the outermost ring may measure as much as 180,000 miles across.

Astronomers believe the rings are actually made up of trillions of chunks of ice, from particles as small as a grain of sand to boulders larger than a house.

Those who know the Lord God as the Creator of all things don't need to wonder who put the rings around Saturn.  God placed them there, and ever since the days of creation we may be sure He has enjoyed their beauty.  He is the One who keeps them in their amazing pattern.  King David expressed it well when he said, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).

How important it is to recognize that it is God who has brought all things into being.  The Bible plainly says, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of your youth" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).  It is important to not only know Him as your Creator, but to know Him as your Saviour as well.  "The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:14). 

Won't you accept His invitation to come to Him right now and accept Him as your Saviour?

Jewel # 58 (April 27, 2010)

To my dear grandchildren

The Busy Hummingbird

It is thrilling to watch this pretty little bird darting about the garden.  It dips its long beak into a flower, then flies backward a short distance before zooming off in another direction.  The hummingbird weighs less than an ounce and sometimes beats its wings two hundred times per second!

Have you ever seen a hummingbird's nest?  The male brings load after load of light material to his mate, and they work together to build the nest and tightly fasten it to the branch.  Then the male flies off to collect silk threads from several spider webs.  He brings these to the nest by flying backward so he will not get tangled in them.  He covers the outside of the nest with these threads to add strength.  When the nest is finished he covers it with moss to camouflage it from enemies.

Hummingbirds are great travelers.  North America is only their summer home.  They migrate in the fall, with the males leaving first and the females and young leaving later.  They fly to Central America, some going by way of Florida and Cuba.  Others take a shortcut across the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of 500-600 miles over water with no rest stops.

We are told these birds eat nothing while migrating these great distances, which is sometimes as much as two thousand miles.  This is remarkable, for when nesting and raising their young, they must eat the equivalent of their own weight in nectar and insects every day to survive.  The secret of flying such great distances without food is the fact that they store up fat by eating extra food in advance of their flight.

In spite of much study, no answer has been found to explain why they leave when they do or how they know to return at the exact time their favorite flowers  will be blooming.  But we do know that their Creator has given them the ability to make their journeys at just the right time, and He directs them over the many miles they must travel. 

The Bible does not mention the hummingbird by name, but it does tell us, "The sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young" (Psalm 84:3).  The One who enables the sparrows and swallows to nest and raise their young is the same One who also provides for all the needs of the lovely hummingbirds.

He assures us, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:  I will guide thee with Mine eye" (Psalm 32:8).  Are you listening to His instruction?  Are you willing to let Him guide you in the path of life?  Our Lord Jesus Christ always proves to be a loving Saviour to all who put their trust in Him.

Jewel # 57 (Apr 9, 2010)

To my dear grandchildren,

The Handsome Goldfinch

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father [being aware of it] . . . Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."
(Matthew 10:29,31)

The goldfinch, often called the wild canary because of it lovely song, is one of America's most beautiful songbirds.  It is about five inches long and is found over most of Southern Canada and the United States.

The male is an exceptionally pretty and compact, neat little bird.  In the spring and summer he is dressed in bright yellow feathers with a contrasting jet-black cap, wings, and tail feathers with pretty cross stripes of white.  His legs and short, sharp beak are orange-brown.  But in the fall and winter his bright yellow body changes to look more like the olive-brown female.

These birds fly in a rapid up-and-down, wavelike motion.  It is delightful to watch this display and hear their distinctive lovely songs.  They seem so happy in the way of life the Creator has arranged for them.

Their nests are made of thistle-down and fibers from various plants and are woven so tightly that the nests will hold water.  The inside of the soft nests will have three to six pale blue eggs.  These are laid from July through September and hatch out as cute baby chicks after about two weeks.  While the mothers incubate the eggs, their mates faithfully bring them quantities of seeds to satisfy their hunger.

The Creator has made the goldfinch a seed-eater rather than an insect-eater.  And in His wisdom He has arranged for their young to hatch out in the late summer, just as seeds are ripening with the most nourishment and are easy to find.  Thistle seeds are their favourite, and climbing about the prickly thistle plant does not seem to bother them a bit.  There is also a variety of other food for them as well, including ripe berries and the seeds of grass, weeds, wheat and oats.

The baby goldfinches are not able to digest whole seeds, no matter how ripe they are.  Until they are older and able to gather and digest their own food, the parents feed them by eating and digesting the seeds in their crops, which is a pouch in their throats where digestion begins.  Then they place their beaks in the little ones' mouths and bring up the digested food.

How did the goldfinch - and all other finches - know to delay their nesting until late in the summer?  And how did they learn such an unusual way to feed their little ones?  We know the answer.  The Creator gave them the instincts to do these things when He first created them, and each new generation does not need to be taught again, because these instincts come naturally to them, just as the Lord God planned it.

Jewel # 56 (March 15, 2010)

To my dear grandchildren, 

The Polar Bear

"Who is like unto the Lord our God, who [dwells] on high, who [humbles] Himself to behold the things . . . in the earth!"  (Psalm 113:5-6)

The white, cold, lonely world of the Arctic is the polar bear's home.  The Lord God shelters the polar bear from the cold with a thick layer of fat underneath long, shaggy fur.  Its fur has insulating air spaces between the hairs.  This impressive animal is about five feet high at its shoulders, seven feet or more long, and may weigh 1000 pounds.  It is extremely strong and can pull a 500 pound seal out of the water with just one paw.  

God has prepared it well for its surroundings.  When the sun shines on snow and ice, Eskimos have to take special care to avoid painful snow-blindness.  But the polar bear has been given three eyelids and a special membrane to protect its eyes.  Then too, this big fellow easily crosses ice floes and travels over ice and snow with little effort.  It would be difficult to walk on such slippery surfaces if the bear were not equipped with a covering of tough hair on the bottom of its feet that gives it a good grip.  God has given it partially webbed feet and specially jointed legs that help make it a very good swimmer.

While its sight and hearing are poor, the polar bear's sense of smell is keen and will alert it to prey as much as twenty miles away. It lives in an icy den where the female gives birth late in winter to two or three cubs, which are about the size of chipmunks.  Two months after they are born, she takes them out of the den and begins their two-year training.

Polar bears eat mostly seals.  The bear lies on the thick ice, waiting for a seal to pop up at its breathing hole.  Sometimes the bear will quietly swim to the edge of the ice where a seal is sunning and catch it.  Besides seals, polar bears eat salmon, foxes, birds and occasionally a reindeer.  Trappers have to keep a wary eye open when one is around, since they will kill sled dogs and steal animals from traps.

It seems cruel that the polar bear must kill so ruthlessly.  It was not like this in the beginning.  Sin brought this change into the world.  However, there is a time coming when "the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox" (Isaiah 11:7).

But before that peaceful time comes, God is going to bring punishment on this sinful world and all those who have refused the gift of salvation He is offering.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour who died to bear that punishment in your place, if you will only accept His invitation to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).  Will you accept His invitation today? 

Jewel # 54 (Feb 22, 2010)

To my dear Grandchildren,

The Little Prodigal Son

There is a very well-known story in the Bible about a man who had two sons.  One of the sons left home, did as he pleased, and then came back home when everything went wrong.  The father welcomed his returning son and forgave him.  It is know as the story of "The Prodigal Son," and you can read it in Luke 15:11-32.  But now I am going to tell you about another father with two sons.  This father's two sons were little boys.  Timmy was five years old and Stevie was three years old.

One day Timmy told his father that he was going to run away.  His reason was that he was having trouble with Stevie, his little brother.  Timmy and his father found a suitcase, and his father helped him pack his belongings, putting in some books because he might want to look at them.  He left his room, and his father said he would walk up the street a little way with him.

But the suitcase was heavy, and Timmy asked his father to carry it for him.  His father said, "No," because he would be going back home, and Timmy should get all the practice he could now of carrying it alone.

As they were passing a fast-food place, his father bought Timmy a hamburger.  Since he couldn't eat it all, his father said to put the rest of the hamburger in the suitcase, as that would be all the food he had with him.

Back on the road again, instead of continuing on his journey, Timmy started back towards home, still hauling the heavy suitcase.  They turned into the house, and his father went inside, but Timmy went around to the back. 

Do you think his father forgot all about Timmy now?  No.  Both his father and his mother were watching from the window.  They saw him open the suitcase, take out the books and look at them.  They saw him when he got up and walked around.  Then he came into the house and said he had decided to give his little brother another chance.  So the suitcase was unpacked, and the runaway was home!

These two fathers in the stories give us a picture of our heavenly Father and His love and care for us.  Sometimes He allows us to do as we please and even make wrong choices, but it is always with the desire that we will return to Him and His love and offer of forgiveness.

Although Timmy was never far from his father, yet somewhere on his runaway journey he changed his mind about his brother and decided to go home.  When God sees that we are truly sorry for our sins and willing to change our minds and ways, He too is always ready to forgive, take us back and wash us clean.

Aren't you glad we have such a gracious God?  He is ready to pardon and quick to forgive when there is true repentance.  "Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness" (Nehemiah 9:17).  Then He receives us as His children and welcomes us home.

"Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." (Romans 4:7).