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

Jewel # 422 (Oct. 26, 2020)

 

"And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWELS.”

Malach  3:17

To my dear grandchildren

Those Pesky Rats  (Part 1)

"Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; But the night shineth as the day: the darkness 

and the light are both alike to Thee.”  Psalm 139:12 

In past issues we have considered many animals and birds that are attractive and interesting and have helpful habits.  But that is not true of all creatures even though all are part of God’s creation.  Among those that are not helpful or attractive we must include rats, which outnumber human beings on the earth.  It is no wonder there are so many since a mother rat can have as many as 80 babies in one year!  When these are only three or four months old they begin raising families of their own.  If all of these rats lived, there would be millions of descendants in two or three years just starting from one pair!  But the Creator does not allow this to happen.

Rats are related to mice and are similar in many way except for size.  Although seldom seen in daylight, many make their homes in houses, barns, and other buildings, because being near humans means there will be plenty of food and shelter available.  They also like to get aboard ships and this carries them around the world, which is how unwanted, disease-infested rats got into the Americas in the first place.  

If you have ever seen large ships docked you might have noticed that many are tied to docks by big ropes which pass through round metal plates.  The purpose of those shields is to keep rats and mice from climbing up the ropes, but some still managed get aboard.

There isn’t much good that comes from rats.  Not only do they spread diseases, but they also consume great quantities of food—one rat alone can eat 25 pounds of grain or corn in a year’s time, taking it from farmer’s fields, storage bins and kitchen pantries.  Multiply this by billions of them and it gives you an idea of how much food they consume that might have been put to good use for hungry people.  In fact, they are the cause of famines in many places.  In addition to grains and seeds, many are fond of nuts, fruits, eggs, fish, vegetables, chickens and many other kinds of food.  They will go after almost anything edible, often also ruining food they don’t eat.

Perhaps rats are allowed to be so plentiful and such a nuisance to provide us with a solemn lesson.  They remind us of that which is destructive, doing nothing good, and bringing harm to others.  What a contrast this is to what the Bible says should be the character of those who love the Lord:  "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:8,10). 

When we think about His desire that we should do good works, our daily prayer should be, “Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths.“ (Psalm 25:4). 

(To be continued)

Love you all - grandpa.   

Jewel # 420 (Oct. 16, 2020)

 

Red-Eyed                        Cuban Tree Frog                             Spatulate Nose Tree Frog

"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

Unusual Tree Frogs

God created great whales, and every living creatures that moves.  Genesis 1:21

There are so many varieties of frogs and toads throughout the word that it would take volumes of books to tell about all of them.  Among them are several hundred kinds of tree frogs.  They live mostly in North Central and South America and Australia.  Their sizes range from less than an inch to four or five inches long, and they all eat insects.

One of these is named “red eyed.”  If you saw its huge, bulging eyes with their coal-black pupils, you would agree it was well-named.  In contrast to its red eyes, it is green over its back and the front of its legs.  It has nimble feet with three toes and a blue spotted yellow stomach.  A close relative has similar eyes and a green back, but the stomach and sides are orange and white.  Its legs are a combination of green, yellow and red, with  long, deep-orange toes.

Another odd fellow is the Cuban tree frog, which is a drab tan colour with huge speckled eyes and coal-black pupils.  Its wide mouth seems to be in a perpetual grin, but also suggests an ability to make a meal of a smaller frog.

A very unusual one in Central America has the long name spatulate nose tree frog.  A dark brown top and legs are mixed with darker brown speckles and a gray-white stomach.  It gets its name because an upper part of its lips protrude way beyond the mouth itself.  (Spatulate means “knife-like.”)  Perhaps the Creator arranged it that way to help it reach into narrow spots where insects are often found.

While tree frogs will at times visit ponds or streams looking for food they are called tree frogs because they spend much of their lives in trees.  Some live in the very tops of giant trees and never come down.  Their bony feet have sticky pads that never fail to grip the branches tightly.  Some have been seen clinging to big leaves and playfully swinging in the wind.  Tree frogs usually choose trees that have large, smooth, cup-shaped leaves holding rainwater, in which the female lays hundreds of eggs.  If one leaf is not big enough for her, she joins two or three together, making a larger home for the little tadpoles when they hatch.  Some tree frogs lay their eggs in ponds.

Did the Lord God actually create these unusual little creatures?  Indeed He did, as the opening Bible verse says.  Another verse assures us that “All things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [subsist]". (Colossians 1:16-17).

You would find it interesting to study other tree frogs.  Almost without exception, they all have pretty patterns that only the Creator could design.

Love you all - Grandpa      

Jewel # 421 (Oct. 9, 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

The Miracle of the Honeybee

“Eat thou honey, because it is good; and sweet to thy taste: so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul.”  Proverbs 24:13-14 

The honeybee is much too interesting to describe in one article.  Today we will look at the specially-designed body structure.

Bees have six legs, and each pair has a special purpose.  The front pair is specially adapted to clean off the insect’s antennae or wipe pollen off its face, mouth and large eyes.  The hinged middle pair is used to pack pollen into the collecting baskets on the hind legs.  In addition to carrying these baskets, the hind pair works with the middle pair to tamp the pollen into pellets, which are used in the hive.  Each leg also has sharp tips for walking over rough surfaces, and cushions between the tips give a grip on smooth surfaces.

Two flexible antennae on the front of the bee are covered with thousands of tiny plates.  These give the bee sensitivity to touch and also a keen sense of smell.  Then there are the two specially designed wings that enable the bee to carry heavy loads of nectar and pollen for long distances.  When flying, the the front and back wings attach to each other by hooks, which then make one large, strong pair of wings.  However, to enter small flowers or the hive cells, these wings separate, fold down and overlap.  Incidentally, a bee flies with its wings moving in a figure eight pattern, which allows it to move up or down, backward or forward, or hover like a hummingbird.

A bee has five eyes—three small ones in a triangle on top of its head, and a large compound eye on each side of the head.  The compound eyes, with many smaller plates called facets, somehow pick up the sun’s rays and act as a compass wherever the bee may be at any time.

The bee has a wonderful ”chemical factory” inside.  This changes the nectar it gathers into honey.  The same organs produce beeswax too.

No other insect has a tongue designed like a bee’s that penetrates into deep pockets of flowers.  The body shape and structure are also designed to carry pollen from one plant to another.  The bee is God’s chief pollinator of flowers.

Proverbs 16:24 says, “pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”  How happy life would be if we all used pleasant words with as much energy as bees use in gathering their honey.  But it is only by knowing the Lord Jesus as our Saviour that we have a new nature, which delights in pleasant words and helpful works.  Proverbs 22:17-18 tells us, “Apply thine heart unto My knowledge.  For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.”                  

Love you all-Grandpa

Jewel # 419 (Oct. 5, 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

The Tailless Chimpanzee

“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

Chimpanzees (which are usually called chimps) are members of the ape family, which also includes gorillas and orangutans, all living in central Africa.  Almost all zoos have some chimps, and sometimes they teach them clever tricks to amuse visitors.  

In the rain forests they communicate by grunts, hoots and calls, sometimes so loud they can be heard more than a mile away.  They usually band together in groups of 40 or more.  Old males sleep alone at night, but join the groups in the daily search for fruit and other food.  All like to groom one another, sometimes kissing and holding hands.  When they are friendly, they grin with their teeth covered by their lips, but when the are angry, their lips are pressed tightly together.

Chimps have small, round heads topped with large ears.  Faces, ears, hands and feet are a bare pink, but the rest of their body is covered with thick, dark-brown hair.  Mature chimps are two to four feet tall and weigh from 50 to well over 100 pounds.  Some live as long as 40 years.

They can stand upright for only a very short time.  When they walk, they drop down on all fours, stooping over with their arms dropping to the ground with closed fists.  This is in contrast to human beings with whom standing or walking in an erect, upright position was established when they were created by the Lord God.  Chimps and gorillas may look somewhat like humans, but there is no relationship at all.  Each was created in its own pattern.  Mankind alone was given “a livings soul,” which goes on into eternity.  

Mother chimps have just one baby at a time, and so are able to give it lots of attention.  While she moves from place to place, the baby clings to her back or sometimes hangs underneath, grasping the hair on her stomach.  The little ones play, climb trees and wrestle with one another while the mothers are busy.

When large amounts of food are available, a group may invite others to join them by loud barking.  Groups often work together, and farmers find it difficult to keep them out of their orchards because chimps always post a sentry to warn when anyone approaches.

The loving care of the Creator for these and all creatures is so nicely stated in the Bible verses: “O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.  How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalm 36:6-7).

As these verses indicate, although He cares for all creatures, it  is only mankind that can know His love and His goodness which not only provide for daily needs, but have given us a Saviour.  If we place our trust in Him, we are assured of an eternity in heaven.  Have you placed your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Love you all - Grandpa