Jewel # 272 (Jan. 28, 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,

Swamp Loving Bitterns

“I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”

(Psalm 50:11)

If you spend time in swampy areas and look closely, you may happen to see one of the lovely bitterns that live in the swamps.  Being part of the heron family, there are many varieties throughout the world, and two of them are residents of southern Canada and northern United States.

Lets look at one named the least bittern.  It is called “least” because of its smaller size compared to other bitterns.  It is about 12 inches long when measured from its feet to the tip of its long bill when it stretches its neck straight up.  Its body is only about the size of a quail or robin, but its legs, neck and bill are much longer.

The Creator has provided this secretive bird with colours suited to hiding in its marshy home of cattails, tall reeds, long grasses and low bushes.  Its feathers are light brown except for  a black crown and back.  Similar colouring on its neck and breast is lightly striped in black tones.  This combination makes the bittern almost impossible to spot when something has alarmed it, and it freezes with its bill pointing up in the midst of swamp foliage.

It also turns its front and both eyes toward the source of alarm.  If the wind moves the reeds, the bittern sways with the movement of the reeds.  Adding to its excellent camouflage, the striped colouring of its long neck and breast look like the reedy plants in which it stands.

One reason bitterns like such watery surroundings is the plentiful food found there—fish, eels and frogs.  They also eat mice and other small animals, various insects and seeds.  Unlike most birds, they do not flock together.  Usually only one is seen by itself or occasionally a pair.

Bitterns are among the world’s most cautious birds, preferring to stay in the surroundings that hide them so well.  Only occasionally will they venture out into open water or into a close-by meadow for a meal of grasshoppers, other insects or seeds.  They can run fast on open ground but fly slowly, keeping close to the tops of the reeds and brush.

Nests are built above water level where from three to six young are raised each year.  The mother bird does all the incubating and feeding of her brood until they can care for themselves.

As we look at even a few of the multitudes of bird varieties in the world, it give us happiness to realize the Creator, the One who is Lord of heaven and earth, has found pleasure in them all.  But He says in Proverbs 8:31, “My delights were with the children of men.”  You are much more important to Him than any bird, fish or animal—so important to Him that he died on the cross for you.

Is He important to you? 

Love you all - Grandpa

Jewel # 271 (Jan. 13, 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 Amazing Honeybee

“How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

(Psalm 119:103)

Without the work of the honeybee, the world would soon starve. Its work in pollinating blossoms is essential to the development of many kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains and other plant foods and also the reproduction of many other flowering plants.

The hive of the honeybee is a marvellous example of community living. As many as 50,000 bees will work together in unity, building a hive of honeycombs made up of hexagonal cells.  In one square inch, there are exactly 4.83 cells.  How do they make such an exact measurement? No one knows other than God who has created them and given them their unusual skills. 

Whether building honeycombs in a hive provided by a beekeeper or in a hollow tree or in any other location, the work always follows the same pattern.  Young worker bees produce beeswax in special glands in their bodies.  This wax is attached to the ceiling.  Then, working down, the cells are built one by one all the way to the base.  Several groups of bees begin building from different parts of the ceiling, gradually all coming together to make a complete comb.  Where the sections join together, the result is still the same—all adjoining cells a measure exactly 4.83 to the square inch!

Thousands of bees are busy right now, each adding its tiny bit to what others have started.  The walls of the waxen cells, only two or three thousandths of an inch thick, are so fragile that you could easily crush them in your fingers, yet strong enough to support the weight of the comb as well as the weight of the bees working on it.

Once the comb is completed, the workers then turn their attention to making honey, which they use as food.  The bee fills a special pouch inside its body with nectar from several blossoms.  In the pouch, the sugar and nectar are broken down into two simple sugars.  After the nectar is deposited in the hive, most of the water in the nectar evaporates and the liquid becomes thick.

Surely we need not ask where these busy workers get the wisdom needed to build these complex homes, nor how they work together in such unity.  God, “which doeth great things and     unsearchable; marvellous things without number” (Job 5:9), is the one who has set their ways and kept them in the same pattern since the day He first created them.

 As King David thought on God’s ways which provide so many benefits to man, He said, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:8).  His greatest work of all was on the cross where He became the Saviour of sinners.

Is He your Saviour?          

Love you all

Grandpa

Jewel # 270 (Jan. 4, 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,

Fringed-Toed Lizards

“Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone.  

Teach me Thy way, O Lord.”

(Psalm 86:10-11)

There are more than 2,000 kinds of lizards throughout the world, and the fringed-toed lizard is perhaps the most amazing of all.  It gets its name from the small, tough scales on its hind toes that swivel like tiny paddles when making its way across loose sand.  It can run over this loose sand with amazing speed or, when necessary, dive into it for safety. 

This is a cute little creature with a slender, orange body about three inches long.  They live in southeast California and southwest Arizona, also in northwest Sonora and northeast Baja, California.  This lizard lives comfortably there among huge sand dunes that are also occupied by tarantulas, rattlesnakes, rabbits, quail and a wide variety of other creatures.

Rough, furrowed skin covers the lizard’s body, but its underbody, throat and legs are smooth.  Its flat body and pointed snout, provided by the Creator, aid when diving headfirst into loose sand for safety.  With surprising speed, it buries itself completely and disappears from view, either lying motionless beneath the sand or moving off quite a distance without being detected.

How can this creature breathe under the sand?  The Creator has taken care of that need in a remarkable way.  He has given it a special nose like no other creature has.  Part of its nose is a trap beyond which sand cannot pass, although allowing the small amount of air to pass which it requires.  When back on the surface, it simply blows out the trapped sand.

The lizard’s eyes have been given additional protection from harm.  Each eye has two overlapping lids, preventing even the tiniest speck of sand from reaching the delicate part of the eyeball.  One of these lids acts just as yours does—blinking up and down when something threatens; the other moves from side to side to do the same thing.  If, as rarely happens, a speck of sand gets past this double guard, it simply wipes it away with a fringed toenail of a hind leg.

This lizard apparently gets sufficient moisture from eating the flower buds, stems, leaves, and seeds of desert plants.  If this is not enough, it can move out into the morning fog that condenses and runs down its furrowed skin into its mouth, which it holds lower that the rest of its body for that purpose.  Besides the desert plants, it also eats ants, beetles, grasshoppers and caterpillars.

As the opening verse expresses, we can see an example of the marvellous designing that speaks of the greatness and wonder of God and His creation even in a little creature like this.  Pondering this, the psalmist said, “Teach me Thy way, O Lord” (Psalm 86:11).  That excellent desire should be in the heart and mind of each of us also. 

Love you all - Grandpa  

Jewel # 269 (Dec. 17, 2016)

"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 Pika—A Mountain Farmer

"The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest 

them their meat in due season.” 

(Psalm 145:15)

The cute, furry pika measures about seven inches long and weighs about eight ounces.  This energetic little animal is a relative of hares and rabbits and is sometimes called a coney.  In North America it is found only among the rocks high in the mountains of Western Canada and United States.

The pika’s outstanding feature is its busy activity in the summer months.  It wisely prepares food for use in winter, when the snow will lie deep and it must stay in its den with its family.  Unlike many mountain animals, it does not hibernate but does remain quite active during the cold season.

While cutting and gathering plants, flowers, berries, aspen leaves and other vegetation in summer and fall, the pika is constantly in motion. God has provided this rodent with four incisor teeth to do all this work.  The rock-dwelling pika has small litters of fewer than five young.  A lot of food is necessary, because one little pika family will need about 50 pounds of dried food during the cold winter days while confined inside the den.

Everything it cuts or gathers is brought to the entrance of the pika’s den, and, like a farmer preparing hay, it is piled in separate mounds in the sunshine to dry in the clear mountain air.  When rain threatens, it carefully picks up these piles and carries them inside, bringing them back out for further drying when the sun is shining again.

Where did this little animal get such wisdom?  And how does it know how to store its food underground so it will not become mouldy or rot?  This wisdom is given to it by God who, in creating everything “after his kind,” has provided for its unique way of life.  This is passed down from generation to generation, without the need of lessons or experiments.  If it didn’t know how to do this, it would die the very first winter of its life.  The Creator watches over everything He has made and provides for the needs of each one in His own wise way.

Living so far from civilization the pika is much like the coney spoken of in Proverbs 30:26:  “The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make their houses in the rocks.”  Eagles, hawks and many animals are enemies of this quiet little fellow, but when sheltered by the rocks into which he hurries when they fly or come close, he is perfectly safe.

When David was delivered form his enemies, he said, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in Him will I trust” (2 Samuel 22:2-3).  He is the only refuge from Satan, our dreaded enemy.  

Do you know the Lord as the rock of your salvation? 

Love your all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 268 (Dec. 4, 2016)

“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,

Preparing for Winter

“God saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth. . . .

Then the beasts go into dens, 

and remain in their places.”

(Job 37:6-8)

Many of God’s creatures live in areas that have cold winters, and He has provided them with special ways to survive.  Some migrate to warmer places, but an amazing number live year-round in the areas which the Creator has provided for them.  It is, of course, His provision for their special needs in the freezing temperatures that enables them to survive through the winter months.  These creatures include a great variety of birds, animals, insects, fish, seals, whales, dolphins and others.

Often a rocky cave in a hillside, soon to be buried in deep snow, is used by bears year after year, and other creatures know well enough not to try to occupy it.  In fact, in many areas all bears go into hibernation on the same day, with their spots selected well in advance.

How do they know to prepare for winter?  It is all through God-given instincts, including not only preparing a place beforehand, but also, of even more importance, by eating extra quantities of food in the fall.  The increase in weight is mostly fat and helps to keep them warm as well as nourishing their bodies while they are hibernating.

Surprisingly, it is during hibernation in the darkness of a cave that a mother bear usually gives birth to two little cubs.  In spite of the darkness, they promptly find a ready milk supply from their sleepy mother who goes right back to sleep after she nurses them.  These cubs are no bigger than small kittens.  It is one of the marvels of God’s creation that they can survive in the darkness.  They know just where to feed when they are hungry and then snuggle up to their mother’s warm body until the next feeding time.

Deer, elk and caribou do not hibernate, even in extremely cold places.  In the fall months they build themselves up with heavy eating, which not only provides fat for warmth but also causes their specially insulated hair to grow thick to provide a heavy overcoat for cold weather.  They search daily for grass, leaves and other vegetation, even in snow storms.  They have to paw through the snow with their sharp, strong hooves to uncover much of what they eat.

These are typical examples of the Creator’s care.  Psalm 36:6-7 tells us:  “O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.  How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.”  

Have you thanked Him for His loving-kindness to you, and have you placed your trust in Him?  Always remember that “it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).   

Love you all.

Grandpa

Jewel # 267 (Nov. 23, 2016)

“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 Oilbird or Guacharo

“He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heaven.”

(Job 28:24)

The oilbird is unusually interesting and lives in Central and South America.  A fairly large bird, it measures about 18 inches from its beak to the tip of its tail.  Its wings, when outstretched, measures close to 3 feet across and it has very short legs.  It has a powerful beak that has long whisker-like feathers at each side.  This reddish-brown bird has white spots on its head and outside wing feathers and black bars across its tail.  

Oilbirds make permanent homes inside  pitch-black caves where a person would need a light to see.  Whole colonies share many of these caves, building their nests and raising their young in the darkness.  You may wonder how they live under such dark conditions.  Their Creator has given them a navigational system similar to bats.  Like bats, the birds make sharp, quick sounds while flying in the caves. These sounds echo back to their sensitive ears, telling them when something is in the way and a safe way around it.

These birds also hunt in the darkness for the fruit of certain palms and other fragrant kinds of fruits.  Good night vision and a keen sense of smell help them find these fruits, which they gulp down whole while flying.  Fruit of this kind is very nourishing and is all the food they need for themselves and their growing chicks.  They are the only nocturnal, flying fruit-eating birds in the world.

The guacharo was given the more common name of oilbird because of their chicks.  When they first hatch, chicks are quite large and have enormous appetites, gulping down all the fruit their parents bring.  These fruits are full of fat and oily juice, and in a short time the chicks, while still in the nest, grow larger than their parents.

Once their plumage begins to fill out, they gradually thin down.  By the time they are three or four months old when they leave the nests, they are nearly a normal size.  This is further helped by the exercise of searching for their own food.  In times past, natives of the area discovered that the fat of these young, oversized birds produced a rich oil when they were caught, killed and the oil boiled out of the body.  They used the oil to make an excellent butter and as fuel for their lamps.  Killing these birds is no longer permitted, but that is how the  oilbird got its unusual name.

Does the Lord God, their Creator, see these birds in the dark caves or when they are flying about at night?  Yes, He both sees and cares for them, for His eye is always on every living thing, just as the opening Bible verse tells us.

Love you all

Grandpa 

Jewel # 266 (Nov. 15, 2016)

“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 Pronghorn

“Turn not from God’s Word to the right hand or to the left, 

that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”   

(Joshua 1:7)

The pronghorn, with its graceful horns, is found only in the interior western and central parts of North America with a few in northern Mexico.  It is the size of a small deer, with light tan colouring except for white fur on its face, underparts and hind quarters.  This colouring allows it to blend in with the prairie where it feeds on grasses, the tender twigs of sagebrush and other shrubs.

A doe will use her sharp hoofs to beat off a coyote threatening her young, but otherwise the pronghorn has no real means of defence.  However, being one of the fastest large mammals of North America, a mature pronghorn can sprint 55 miles an hour for a half mile, 42 miles an hour for one mile and 35 miles an hour for 4 miles to escape from an enemy.  It is often cited as the second-fastest land animal, with the cheetah being the fastest.

The pronghorn has remarkably keen sight.  Its large eyes are placed far back on the side of its head, giving it a great circle of sharp vision.  When it sees something threatening, it raises the white patch of fur around its tail—a warning signal to its companions, and they all run away.  The Creator gave them the instinct to have one of their herd always stand watch.  Even when they lie down, they face in different directions so an enemy cannot take them by surprise.

A doe usually bears twins in the spring.  Their eyes are already open, and they are able to stand right away.  Prowling animals cannot easily find them because they give off no scent for some months.  At ten months they are fully grown, and by the end of a year they can run as fast as their parents.

What leads the pronghorn into trouble is its curiosity.  Hunters will tie a piece of cloth to a stick and wave it in the air while remaining hidden.  The pronghorn comes toward it to investigate, and the hunter shoots it.  This is just like the person who knows that the Bible teaches the way “which leadeth unto life” (Matthew 7:14), but who is tempted to investigate the things that Satan and the world offer.  Satan is always ready to deceive all who will be attracted by these temptations, leading them into tragedy and sorrow.

The Bible says, "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16).  As our opening verse advises, do not be like the curious pronghorn and leave the right path.  The Lord will give you the strength to stand firm and show you the right way.  His instruction is:  

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee” (Psalm 50:15).      

Love you all - Grandpa