Jewel # 143 (July 18, 2013)

          

"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 Scarce Snow Leopard

"Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou has made . . .

the earth, and all things that are therein."

(Nehemiah 9:6)

The snow leopard is a member of the leopard family and is one of the world's most beautiful animals.  When fully grown, this animal will be 30 inches tall at shoulder height and 6 to 6 1/2 and feet long, including its two-foot-long tail.  Its weight will be from 100 to 150 pounds.  

Since it often lives two miles or more high on the cold mountain ranges of central Asia, the Creator has given it a coat much heavier than that of the leopards of warmer climates.  Snow leopards' tails are furry, long and flexible.  This helps them to maintain their balance, which is very important in the rocky terrain where they live.

Its white fur is overlaid with pale gray and leopard like brown spots over most of its body, but the fur remains plain white on the chin, chest and  belly.  Each of its yellow eyes is circled with a ribbon of dark brown fur.  With its small ears and a face like that of a house cat, it is a very beautiful creature.  Just like when your pet cat is calm and relaxed, the snow leopard's sharp claws are not visible, but when its paw reaches out to strike, the claws become fierce weapons, ready for action.  

Snow leopards cannot roar, but they can make hisses, chuffing, mews, growls, and wailing sounds.

Since the snow leopard blends in so well with its surroundings, mountain climbers might pass near one sitting on its haunches and quietly watching them, and be entirely unaware of its presence.  This leopard's food is made up of antelope, deer, mountain goats, smaller animals, pheasants and other birds.  When these are not available, the snow leopard may raid a farmyard for sheep and calves, but it has never been known to attack people.

A mother trains her kittens to catch prey by lying on the ground and gently switching her tail from side to side.  The kittens try to pounce on it, but just as they pounce she gives it a quick flick and they are left empty-handed.  Eventually their reflexes become sharper, and they are able to use this needed skill when hunting for food. 

These lovely animals instinctively hide among the rocks and snow where the colouring of their fur conceals them so well.  But they are not hidden from their Creator; He is well aware of them at all times, as the Bible verse tells us: "He looks to the end of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven" (Job 28:24).  In other parts of the Bible, we also read that He is the provider and protector of all His creatures.

Perhaps you are familiar with another verse that tells us, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).  What do His eyes see in you?   

Love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 142 (July 9, 2013)

             

To my dear grandchildren,

The Deadly Scorpion

"Light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light,

 because their deeds were evil."

(John 3:19)

Those who live in tropical climates or in the deserts of the southern part of the U.S.A. avoid the scorpion as much as possible.  They know a scorpion sting is very painful and sometimes can be fatal.  This creature, which will strike anything threatening it, fits the description in the opening Bible verse.  Although sometimes seen in daylight, it prefers the dark and will scurry to a dark hiding place if light reaches it.

A scorpion looks rather scary.  Its body can be five to eight inches long and is covered with a dark shell that protects it from heat and injury.  The scary parts are the two sharp pincers extending from its head and the poisonous stinger at the end of its tail, which is usually curled over its back, ready for action.  When a large insect or spider comes close, the sharp pincers catch it, and the tail arches over the scorpion's back and plunges the poisonous stinger into its victim. 

Some scorpions have as many as twelve eyes, but most have only six or eight.  When a scorpion molts (sheds its shell), some of these eyes drop off, but they grow back in when the new outer shell is formed.  This happens four to eight times in its short life.  Its brain is very simple, but it has been given a keen sense of touch through the hairs that cover its body.  In addition, comb-like parts on its abdomen pick up ground vibrations.

Female scorpions produce their young alive. The little ones are exact miniatures of the parents and stay with their mother several days.  She lets them cling to her body with their tiny pincers.

We cannot help but wonder at the way God has equipped scorpions with features that allow them to fit so well into their harsh way of life.  He has even made them helpful to mankind in one way - they destroy many harmful insects and spiders.

Scorpions remind us of those people who are without God in their lives, of whom the Bible says that "denying the Lord that bought them . . . bring upon themselves swift destruction."  We are also told that these same people "speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption" (2 Peter 2:1,12).  What a sad contrast they are to those who through faith claim the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.  A promise is given to these believers to know "the peace of God, which passes all understanding, and shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus " (Philippians 4:7).

This is what God desires for every one, because He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).  Have you come to repentance?

Love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 141 (June 29, 2013)

    

To my dear Grandchildren,

The Ungainly Ostrich

"The ostrich . . . leaves her eggs in the earth, and warms them 

in the dust. . . .  She scorns the horse and his rider."

(Job 39:13-14,18)

Although it cannot fly, for size and strength, no bird can match the 300-pound, 8-foot-tall ostrich of Africa.  And a rider on a horse cannot match its 50-miles-per-hour speed across the desert.  The female is called a dun.  She lays half a dozen or more ivory coloured eggs (each one 24 times as large as a hen's egg) in a hole scrapped in the sand.  She sits on them during the day or, as the above verse says, leaves them exposed to the hot sun.  The male takes over incubating them at night.

The ostrich is a very hardy bird; some live for 70 years.  Those in the wild usually live in flocks of a 100 or more and peacefully share the open spaces with zebras, giraffes and other animals.  If necessary, they defend themselves with their strong legs - a well-directed kick either killing or discouraging any attacker.

Its appearance seems strange indeed.  Its long, bare legs with ankles like knees and its manner of walking give an almost mechanical appearance.  Short, heavily feathered wings give it a football-shaped body, and its bulky, feathered tail looks like it was just stuck on for balance.  Then it has a long, naked neck with a flat, hairy head, having bulgy eyes and a wide beak, making it look like a periscope.  In fact, this is one of the Creator's provisions for it, enabling it with its keen vision to see from a lofty height over miles of desert land.  

Visitors to ostrich farms are amused to watch one swallow an unpeeled orange.  Down its long neck goes the orange, spiraling around, the bulge visible through its skin, until its disappears at the bottom.  The birds are also sometimes tamed and ridden by people brave enough to try.  But as no saddle is provided, it takes an experienced person to be able to ride very far without sliding off over its tail.  

Why do you think the Lord God created such an unusual bird?  We might ask the same question about some unusual fish, or the platypus, or an opossum, or strange insects, or other unusual creatures.  Do you suppose that, as the Supreme Designer of the universe, it was His purpose to to make every animal, fish, bird, or even every person a little different?  The same is true of flowers, vegetables. trees, and other plant life.  How thankful we can be that He included such variety in all He has made - another example of His wisdom. 

And remember that He did not leave anything needing improvement, for after every part of creation was brought into being, the Bible tells us, "God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31).  No improvements have been necessary.

Love you all

Grandpa

Jewel # 140 (June 12, 2013)

These pictures were taken at Uncle Arnie & Auntie Orpha's cottage at Kenora, Ontario

To my dear grandchildren,  

Baby Eagles and Bible Verses

Did you ever see baby eagles in a nest?  It is not likely, because eagles make their nests high up in tall trees or on power-line towers.

Someone mounted a video camera that took pictures of an eagle's nest.  We could see it on our computer.  The nest is made of sticks and twigs, with moss inside to make it comfortable.  There were two eaglets, as baby eagles are called.  When the little eaglets tried to stand, they fell over.  They were too weak to stand, but they were hungry.

Then as we watched, two big eagles landed on the nest.  Father and mother eagle came to the nest with some meat in their talons - talons are claws on their feet.  Since the eaglets were so small, they could only eat little pieces of the food.  The parent eagles, using their big hooked beaks, carefully pulled pieces off the meat held in their talons.  Pieces small enough for the babies to swallow were offered to them.  The babies quickly took the pieces in their beaks and swallowed them.  The mother and father birds kept pulling off small pieces and giving them to their babies.  The little ones ate all that was given to them.

Now what has this to do with Bible verses?  As I watched the eagles being fed, it made me think of the verses that children in Sunday School learn when they are very young - short verses like "God is light" (1 John 1:5) and "God is love" (1 John 4:8).  Every verse in the Bible is important.

When the eagles grew, the mother gave them bigger pieces to eat.  Later they were able to tear off the meat for themselves.  So older boys and girls in Sunday School are able to learn some longer verses.  Your moms and dads help you to learn these verses.  Later you can lean them for yourselves without your parents' help.

After awhile those eagles will be taught to catch their own food.  What does that mean to you?  It means that you will grow and be able to read God's Word for yourself.  It is a good habit to form.  Read your Bible every day and think about what you have read.

An old man in a nursing home had such poor eyesight that he could no longer read.  He knew many Bible verses.  He told me he had leaned them when he was young.  

What would happen if an eagle quit hunting for food?  It would starve to death, right?  If you want a happy Christian life, keep on reading the Word of God as you grow up.  Then don't stop because you are an adult.  We all need this "food" everyday of our lives!

"The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."

(Psalm 119:130)

Love you all

Grandpa

Jewel # 139 (June 2, 2013)

To my dear grandchildren

The Ungainly Hyena

"Neither is there any creature that is not visible in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." 

(Hebrews 4:13)

There are many hyenas throughout Africa.  The largest is the one with the fiendish howl that sounds like a hysterical human laugh.  It is known as the spotted or laughing hyena.  It is about 6 feet long and weighs around 150 pounds.

The hyena is an unattractive animal, having yellowish-brown, coarse hair with black spots.  Its short head with big, erect ears is large in proportion to its body.  Its long, thick neck, muscular shoulders and long, muscular front legs make the front of its body larger and much stronger than the back, which tapers down on shorter hind legs to a stubby tail

Other species of hyenas include the brown and the striped hyenas.  Both are somewhat smaller than the spotted.  Aside from their differences in appearance, they all have much in common.  No other animal on earth has such powerful jaws and strong teeth that can quickly tear flesh and crush bones.  They can crush bones as thick as baseball bats as easily as you would break a stick of peppermint candy.  They are all scavengers, and their food preference is a dead animal that has started to decay.  If they find jackals, cheetahs or other small predators eating an animal they have killed, the hyenas will chase them away and steal the carcass.  However, they will not attempt to chase away lions, because the lions would kill them instead.

In the hottest season, which often reaches 120 degrees in the shade most of the big game migrates elsewhere, so the hyenas have to be satisfied with catching hares, rodents, snakes and birds.  During such dry spells with no water around, the only moisture they usually get is from their freshly killed prey.  Sometimes, however, they find a patch of wild melons to quench their thirst.  Some may question what purpose hyenas serve in God's creation.  Like the vultures that often quarrel with them over a dead animal, they perform an important service in disposing of decaying flesh that spreads disease.  This is part of God's way in having His creation take care of a serious problem.

However, the services of hyenas will not always be needed.  Speaking of a future time, the Bible says, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind" (Isaiah 65:17).  This refers to the coming time after those who are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have been taken to heaven, and judgment later falls on the rest of the world.  Following those events, the world will be made perfect again, and no sin shall exist.  Will you be among those in heaven looking down on this lovely and peaceful scene?

Love you all,

Grandpa      

Jewel # 138 (May 26, 2013)

"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 Loggerhead Turtle

"By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth. 

 . . . All things were created by Him, and for Him."

(Colossians 1:16) 

If you were on a Caribbean Island beach some dark night in early spring or late summer, you might become aware of a number of large creatures coming out of the surf.  They drag themselves with much effort over the sand, higher and higher, until they are above the highest tidewater mark.  These are female loggerhead turtles, and each weighs close to 500 pounds.

Soon each one is busily scooping sand with her flippers, making a hole about seven inches wide and almost two feet deep.  After an hour of this tiresome work, she will rest awhile, then place herself over this nest and begin depositing her eggs one at a time every few seconds.  Usually one to two hundred are deposited and look like ping-pong balls.

Next she scoops the sand back into the hole and pats it down firmly.  Then she scatters the excess sand over the area, making it look so natural that no one would suspect there was a nest of turtle eggs underneath.  If you could get closer, you might see tears running from her eyes.  This is a provision God gave these turtles for washing the sand out of their eyes.  When the job is complete, she returns to the sea, soon disappearing in the waves.

In about two months the eggs will hatch.  Before hatching, each baby turtle develops an "egg tooth" on the end of its nose.  This is used to break out of the shell.  It might seem they would die in their nest deep in the sand, but they work their way to the top, which might take several days.  As the baby turtles come to the surface, they run as fast as they can to the ocean.  Since they are only about the size of a silver dollar, they must run fast, because there are many creatures waiting to eat them.  Birds, crabs, rats and other enemies chase after them, so that very few of these baby turtles make it across the sand alive.  In the water there are sharks, fish of all kinds and more birds.  Perhaps only six out of the whole nest manage to survive.  In five to eight years, survivors reach full size.  Then they are safe from natural enemies and live to an old age.

For most of us, our lives are not as full of danger as these creatures' lives are.  God has graciously provided many benefits for each of us and cares for us most lovingly.  He knows all our needs and activities too.  It is written in the Bible, "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee" (Ecclesiastes 11:9).  This is followed by the instruction, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).  What excellent God-given advice this is for us to follow.

Love you all,

Grandpa  

Jewel # 137 (May 11, 2013)

To my dear grandchildren,

The Gentle Tapir

"I have made the earth, the man and the beast . . .  

by My great power and by My outstretched arm."

(Jeremiah 27:5)

If you were in the wilds of Central America, South America or Southeast Asia and found yourself face-to-face with a strange brown animal known as the tapir, the first thing you probably would notice would be that it looks much like an overgrown pig.  It has a short, heavy body with a short tail, a thick neck and a nose that serves as a short movable trunk.  All tapirs have oval-shaped ears with white tips.  

It would be a special treat if a baby tapir were there too.  They are really cute, weighing only about 15 pounds when born and having white stripes all along their backs and sides for God-given camouflage purposes.

If you didn't show any sign of wanting to hurt the tapir, you would find it wouldn't hurt you either.  The Creator has given it a shy and gentle nature, and they would rather run than fight.  Their food includes twigs and leaves of trees and shrubs, water plants, grass and fruit, and they never kill another animal unless in self-defense.

These animals stay close to their homes but make paths through the thick jungle.  Some lead to water holes, which they visit morning and evening, enjoying a swim and wallowing in the mud to get rid of ticks and other pests.  They sometimes walk along the bottom of these ponds completely submerged.

Their only enemy is the fearsome jaguar.  However, when a jaguar springs on a tapir, it is taken on an unexpected, rough ride ride through low brush where it will usually be knocked off.  But if it hangs on, the tapir will jump into deep water, submerging beneath the surface.  At that point the jaguar gives up and the tapir is the winner.

Tapirs remind us of the great variety of animals placed on earth by the Creator and His untiring care and provisions for all.  We know, however, that that the lives of animals are for this world only, but God has given to each of us a never-dying soul and provided a way in  which that life can be spent happily in heaven with Him.

A few verses from the Bible explain this.  First, we need to understand clearly that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  That is a tragic statement, but thankfully we are told, "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). We also read this wonderful statement: "Being justified by faith [in the Lord Jesus as our Saviour], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

If you want that peace and everlasting life in heaven, believe these important Bible verses.  

Love you all,

Grandpa