Jewel # 310 (Feb. 5, 2018)

“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

A Great Imitator 

“The heart is deceitful above all things . . . who can know it? I the Lord search the heart.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

Known as walking stick, or stick insects, these relatives of katydids, crickets, grasshoppers and earwigs come in many varieties throughout North, Central and South America, as well as Asia.  North America alone has about a dozen different kinds.  Some measure only two to three inches long, but in Asian countries some may be twelve inches long when stretched out on a branch. The larger ones, when roasted, are considered a very tasty food by the natives.

Walking sticks usually remain perfectly still on twigs or even flat blades of grass or leaves.  Their long, slender bodies look so much like a part of the tree or plant that insects coming from behind innocently climb up and walk along their backs.

Unlike most insects, these strange brown or green creatures have no wings but have six long, flexible, thin legs, all about the same length, that seem awkward in climbing over twigs and branches.  When folded under their bodies, their legs look like a part of a branch itself.

Walking sticks remain motionless on the twigs, branches or leaves, blending so perfectly they are nearly invisible.  Their strange appearance hides them from their enemies.  Even people searching for these unusual creatures may walk right by one lying on a bare branch and not discover it until, by chance, the person thinks he is grabbing a branch for support and discovers it trying to wriggle away from his hand.  

These insects are greedy leaf-eaters, sometimes damaging walnut, oak, locust, hickory, cherry and other trees.  The female usually drops one hundred or more eggs to the ground, one at a time, which will hatch the following spring.  They are neglected, and few survive.  As the young grow, they shed their skin five or six times.  

In many ways these walking sticks represent an illustration of the deceitful ways of Satan and his efforts to spoil our personal lives.  How much better to have our trust in the Lord Jesus, our Creator, and ask Him to help us do what these Bible verses tell us: “He that will love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no dishonesty. . . . For the eyes of the Lord are over the honest and true, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:10-12).          

Love you all - Grandpa

Jewel # 309 (Jan. 20, 2018)

“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 Silky Anteater 

“Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually.

Remember His marvellous works."

(1 Chronicles 16:11-12)

The silky anteater lives in the forests of southern Mexico and down through Central and South America.  It is very small—only about the size of a squirrel—but has a long, furry tail that makes it look somewhat larger.  Its little body has honey-coloured fur, and it has a rather pretty face, with round, black eyes and a pointed snout ending in a pinkish nose.

In securing its food, composed of termites and ants, teeth would be of no value.  Instead, the Creator has provided it with a pointed nose and a long sticky, tongue which it pokes into the nests of these insects and pulls them out in great quantities.

Besides being smaller than its relatives, the silky anteater is also a tree-climber, whereas the larger anteaters spend their lives on the ground.  To aid in tree climbing, it has been given an extra joint on both hind feet, enabling its toes to bend around a tree branch for a good, strong grip—another provision of the Creator to help its food-searching activities.  It also has a prehensile tail (a grasping tail similar to a monkey’s) which it uses to suspend itself head downward.  Then it can use its strong front claws to tear bark off a tree, where it usually finds food.  This special tail also may work like an extra hand, helping it to hold tightly to a tree.

Silky is a night worker and spends daylight hours curled up in a nest of dry leaves in a hollow tree trunk.  She’ll leave her one tiny baby in this nest while she forages for food.  She nurses the baby for a shot period but then feeds it on digested insects which she regurgitates, until soon the little one is able to scramble around and find its own food.

Because these animals hunt only at night and hide in the daytime, they rarely encounter enemies.  But when they do, they defend themselves by rearing up on hind legs and slashing their opponent with the long, sharp claws of their front feet.

Do you think God takes note of this obscure little creature?  The exceptional provisions for its way of life tell us that He certainly does!  We are further assured by the Bible verse that says, “In whose hand is the life of every living thing” (Job 12:10).  Another verse states, “The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their food in due season" (Psalm 145:15).

How much greater is His love for you and me!  He not only takes care of our daily needs, 

but also He has prepared a home in heaven for all who will accept His Son, 

the Lord Jesus Christ, as their Saviour.

Have you done this?

Love you all - Grandpa       

Jewel # 308 (Jan. 15, 2018)

“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 Nile Catfish - Camouflage in the Sea

“God does great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.”

(Job 9:10)

Around coral reefs and other areas of the oceans where sunlight penetrates, many fish would be easy targets for larger fish, mammals and birds unless protected in some was. So God has given them camouflage for protection.

An example of this is the ten-inch bright-red sea dragon, living in the red seaweed along Australian shores.  it looks quite similar to the sea horse.  The sea dragon is a poor swimmer and would be devoured quickly by larger fish except that the Creator has given it an interesting disguise.  Not only is it helped by its red colour, but also it has been given wedlock growths all over its oddly shaped body including its head, chin, back and stoic.  This makes it look like a seaplane with new leaves sprouting on it

In South America and the Philippines there are also several small fish that both look and act like leaves of the mangrove tree that grows there.  One fish, almost as thin as a leaf, swims on its side near the surface and moves about as slowly as a drifting leaf while it fins morsels of food here and there.

The Nile Catfish is the only known fish that swims upside down, just the opposite of other fish.  Their backs are light-coloured and bodies are dark—thus they are safely camouflaged.

Flounders, that are common around North American and European shores, can change colour match the bottom the bay as they slowly swing along the bottom.  The same is true of several fish which live around Bermuda.  They can change colour almost instantly when swimming over different coloured parts of the ocean floor.

Sponge crabs look ordinary enough but cover themselves with sea sponge, which, which they cut with their claws to make a oat over their backs.  As the crab grows, the sponge does the same.  Or if the sponge dies, the crab just gets rid of it and cuts another one to fit.

Another variety, the decorator crab, will often cover itself with bits of coral or limestone or certain sea plants.  To other secreters it just looks like seaweed drifting by.

None of these amazing creature arranged for its unusual camouflage not did it happen gradually over a long time.  The Bible, which always tells the truth, says, “God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life” (Genesis 1:20).  Another verse speaking of God, says, “He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength. . . . He does great things past finding out” (Job 9:4,10)

It is good to read the Bible every day, and when you do, ask the Lord Jesus to make it all plain and helpful to you.  He will be pleased to have you do this.

Love you all - Grandpa  

Jewel # 307 (Jan. 8th, 2018)

“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 Slippery Eels   (Part 2)

“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.”

(Psalm 107:23-24)

Besides the eels that can be eaten, which we looked at previously, there are many other kinds, some of which are large and vicious.  Lets consider three of these marine eels.

Conger eels and moray eels do not migrate.  Both are found in warm waters off the coast of California, Mexico and parts of Europe.  Even though some are as long as eight feet, they live their entire lives in crevices of rocks or coral deep in the ocean.  They hide there until a victim comes within reach of their jaws, which which have strong, sharp teeth.  These creatures will attack almost anything that is small enough for them to eat.  Underwater divers are often startled by suddenly coming across one one of these eels, but they do not bother humans unless irritated.

In spring, the three-foot-long lamprey eels travel from saltwater to freshwater to lay their eggs.  A pair swims many miles up mountain streams until shallow water is reached.  The male leaves the female and explores the stream bottom.  When he finds a suitable spot, he removes stones from the bottom with his sucking mouth and takes them to the shoreline.  Soon he has exposed a smooth, sandy bottom where the female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them.  Then they both swim upstream, busily picking up and moving stones around, deliberately stirring up the sand which drifts downstream and covers the eggs.

After hatching, the young eels remain in the stream for four or five years, and then they swim out to the ocean or large lake.  In their new surroundings, each one seeks out a victim—usually a large fish.

The young eel does not have jaws but has a large sucker mouth, armed with sharp teeth and a rough, cutting tongue.  Attaching to the fish’s side with its suction mouth, it uses its sharp teeth and rough tongue to make a wound deep enough for blood to flow.  It will remain attached to the fish sometimes for days, sucking out the blood until the fish dies.  Then it finds another victim.

These repulsive creatures remind us of Satan.  The Bible warns us to beware, lest “through his subtlety. . .your minds should be corrupted” (2 Corinthians 11:3).  It is our sins that make us an easy victim of that evil one, but a gracious God warns us to “flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7) and turn to the Saviour who "is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him”  (Hebrews 7:25). 

Do you realize that you are a sinner under Satan’s power, and have you accepted the loving invitation to find a shelter in the Saviour?

Love you all - Grandpa 

Jewel # 306 (Dec. 29, 2017)

“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

Angelfish Are Beauties

“Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters,

and Thy footsteps are not known."

(Psalm 77:19)

The Creator has made homes in the seas for more varieties of fish than we can count, both small and large.  Some are very unusual looking, and many of them are beautiful creatures.

Several varieties of small, colourful fishes are named angelfish and are very pretty.  They live mainly in the warm waters along the Atlantic Coast from Florida to Brazil.  Some from the Amazon River in South America are highly prized in many North American aquariums.  There are also varieties of large angelfish that are fished commercially and sold to fish markets, since most are good to eat.

Florida's blue angelfish, for instance, is one of the outstanding beauties.  It is deep blue on its entire back, with two blue ribbons surrounding its head, separated by a dark brown ribbon.  The bottom part of its body is as an even more brilliant blue, and a blue and amber snout adds a little more to its beauty, as well as a brilliant, fan-shaped, yellow tail.  Its not difficult to see how it got its name.

One of the more striking ones is the  clown angelfish.  One variety of these has a light-pink head and shoulders, but the rest of its body, all the way to its tail, is a dark orange marked with wide bands and a central, bright-green stripe that turns deep blue towards it tail.  In addition to this, a huge fin on its back is deep blue, but a similar fin below is light orange with narrow blue stripes.  Getting a close look at one of these would convince you that with such a combination of colours, it is well named. 

Another very attractive variety is the queen angelfish.  A typical one is a soft speckled green all over, except for an outstanding yellow tail and fins.  It is also decorated with a thin but bright-red line all along its narrow top and underside.  There are about a dozen varieties in this group, most of them living off the shores of Florida, but with some venturing as far north as the New England coastline.  When fully grown, they are about two feet long and are a good catch for anyone fishing. 

The Bible tells us that on the fifth day of God’s creation He said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life. . . .And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters [oceans, lakes and rivers] brought forth abundantly. . . . And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:20-21). When we see these and other wonders, how good it is to know the One who created it all and who still watches over them.  He watches over you and me.

Love you all - Grandpa    

Jewel # 305 (Dec. 14, 2017)

“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

Bluffing Its Way Through

“The Lord searches all hearts and understands all imaginations of the thoughts.”

(1 Chronicles 28:9)

We all know what it is to “pretend.”  This goes on with many wild creatures of the world every day—usually when they are frightened and want to scare away a threatening enemy. 

The hognose snake, sometimes called a puff adder, is one of these.  It may play dead when frightened, just like an opossum does.  At other times it inhales more and more air into its body until it is about twice as big around as usual.  Either of these tricks usually works and causes an enemy to give up the idea of attacking it.

The coral snake has white, yellow, black and red bands around it.  It is very poisonous, but there are other snakes that look like the coral snake that are not poisonous.  If one of these is threatened by an animal or another snake, it puts on a show and acts just like the coral snake to frighten its enemy away.

A five-inch-long caterpillar called hickory horned devil has been provided with vicious-looking but soft horns on the top of its head.  It also has bulges around its mouth that look like big sharp teeth.  When frightened, it raises the front of its body straight  up and moves its head around, as though it will either take a bite out of whatever threatens it or stab it with its fierce-looking horns. The bird or small animal that was hoping for dinner “escapes” as quickly as possible.

You may have heard of the frilled lizard of Australia and New Guinea.  It has been provided with four sturdy legs and a large fold of loose skin that normally lies flat agains its body like a collar.  But when threatened, this lizard immediately rises on its strong legs and puffs out its huge collar which makes it look more than twice its usual size.  When its mouth is wide open and a row of sharp little teeth are showing while it makes fearsome sounds, its attacker usually changes its mind and makes a quick getaway.

You may think of other interesting examples of the Creator’s provisions for defenceless animals, fish and birds.

Sadly, some people are also pretenders and claim to be wiser than God.  Some teach that there is no God or that the Bible is not true.  Others say that we will get to heaven just by being good.  Many of them teach that the world and all life were not created by God but just “happened to come about.”

Turn away from such wrong teachings and do as King David did when people told him false things.  He said, “I esteem all God’s precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128).

Love you all - Grandpa   

Jewel # 304 (Dec. 7, 2017)

“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 Lovers of the Snow

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, 

they shall be as white as snow.”   (Isaiah 1:18)

Most everyone likes the beauty of snow and the way it covers unpleasant spots.  Children like to play in it, and older ones on toboggans or skis also enjoy it.  Snow-capped hills and mountains are beautiful subjects for photographs.  Then, too, deep deposits of snow on the mountain peaks and slopes are a wonderful provision of the Creator to replenish fresh water in rivers, lakes and reservoirs during hot summer months.

Most people prefer not to stay outdoors during the snowstorms, but there are creatures for whom the Lord God has given snow a special importance.  Polar bears in their white coats are well camouflaged on snow and ice and can sneak up on unsuspecting prey without being seen.  The same is true of white foxes in the Arctic areas.

In some places where snow becomes very deep, activities go on beneath the surface of the snow that are never seen from above.  Field mice, ground squirrels, porcupines and even some birds make tunnels along the ground leading to their feeding areas.  They can do this without the threat of being caught by their enemies.  Working in groups several feet below the surface, they sometimes press down the bottom layer of snow, making a cozy place for warmth and safety.

Then there are animals and birds of various sizes for which the Creator has provided white coats in winter.  If they become aware of an enemy nearby, they lie down or curl up in the snow and are never seen.  Weasels and Arctic hares are examples of this.  Even big snowy owls have been given white feathers for winter.  The wide-winged, pure-white snowy petrel, a sea bird of Antarctica, also benefits from its colouring.

Other birds and animals are temporarily provided with special feathers or fur on their feet for winter.  These feathers or fur act as snowshoes so they can easily travel over the snow’s surface.  Fur and feathers of other creatures do not change in colour, but they are given thicker, extra-warm winter coats.  Ruffed grouse, threatened by an enemy, will plunge into a snow bank and, completely hidden, remain there until danger is past.  Other animals benefitting from snow are deer, elk and moose.  Deep, crusty snow enables them to reach higher to eat tree branches that they could not reach in summer.

In the sight of God, our sins stand out as bright as scarlet, but He invites us to become white as snow in His sight, by admitting that we are sinners and accepting the Lord Jesus as our Saviour.  When we do this, we become His children and are assured of a home in heaven.  The Bible tells us to do this now!  “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).  

Love you all - Grandpa