THE FLOWERING CHAMELEON
Matthew 6:28-29
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
What color is the scarlet gilia? Well, that depends on where and when it’s blooming. Despite its name, the scarlet gilia can be red, pink, and even white.
Near sea level, the flowers remain red all season. This is because the flower is pollinated throughout the summer by hummingbirds who are drawn to the red flowers. At higher elevations, the hummingbirds leave as summer moves into August. As they leave, the plants change their red flowers to pink and, later, white flowers.
The higher-elevation plants change over to white flowers because they have a new pollinator. As the hummingbird population decreases, hawkmoths take over. During this transition, the flower produces pink blossoms as it invites both of its pollinators. Once the hummingbirds are gone, the hawkmoth takes over. The hawkmoths pollinate at night, so they prefer white flowers, which are easier to see in the dark. Scientists were amazed by the fact that the color changes take place exactly when pollination shifts from hummingbird to moth. As one startled scientist put it, these plants cannot be considered passive in their environment.
Who taught the scarlet gilia when and how to change the color of its flowers? Who taught it that hummingbirds will be attracted to red flowers? Or that hawkmoths will be attracted to white flowers? The scarlet gilia may be clever, but only our all-wise Creator could have given this knowledge and ability to the plant.
Dear Father, I thank You that the wisdom with which You designed the creation is there for all to see. As I strive against the world’s denial of Your intimate involvement in Your creation, help me to see more clearly that the creation is Yours and that it glorifies You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Bennett, D. D. Scarlet gilia: Flowering Chameleon. Science News, Feb. 1985, p. 69. Photo: Scarlet gilia. Courtesy of Walter Siegmund. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Matthew 6:28-29
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
What color is the scarlet gilia? Well, that depends on where and when it’s blooming. Despite its name, the scarlet gilia can be red, pink, and even white.
Near sea level, the flowers remain red all season. This is because the flower is pollinated throughout the summer by hummingbirds who are drawn to the red flowers. At higher elevations, the hummingbirds leave as summer moves into August. As they leave, the plants change their red flowers to pink and, later, white flowers.
The higher-elevation plants change over to white flowers because they have a new pollinator. As the hummingbird population decreases, hawkmoths take over. During this transition, the flower produces pink blossoms as it invites both of its pollinators. Once the hummingbirds are gone, the hawkmoth takes over. The hawkmoths pollinate at night, so they prefer white flowers, which are easier to see in the dark. Scientists were amazed by the fact that the color changes take place exactly when pollination shifts from hummingbird to moth. As one startled scientist put it, these plants cannot be considered passive in their environment.
Who taught the scarlet gilia when and how to change the color of its flowers? Who taught it that hummingbirds will be attracted to red flowers? Or that hawkmoths will be attracted to white flowers? The scarlet gilia may be clever, but only our all-wise Creator could have given this knowledge and ability to the plant.
Dear Father, I thank You that the wisdom with which You designed the creation is there for all to see. As I strive against the world’s denial of Your intimate involvement in Your creation, help me to see more clearly that the creation is Yours and that it glorifies You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Bennett, D. D. Scarlet gilia: Flowering Chameleon. Science News, Feb. 1985, p. 69. Photo: Scarlet gilia. Courtesy of Walter Siegmund. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
THE FIRST XEROGRAPHER
2 Chronicles 26:15
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
Xerography is the process used in most copying machines today. The page you want copied is exposed to the bright light in the machine. That light enables the machine to make an image of your original, using electrostatic charges to record the light and dark spots on your original. The toner – that fine black powder – is then drawn to those spots on the copier paper in exactly the same spots that were dark on your original. After the powder is fixed in place, your copy – perfect in every detail – pops out.
Most of us consider xerography to be a modern work-saving wonder. However, xerography may not be such a modern invention. Researchers at Stanford Research Institute now believe that xerography was invented and first used almost 150 years ago!
That’s when Louis Daguerre introduced the photographic process named after him. The earliest photographs we have are daguerreotypes. These sharp, crisp pictures used silver and iodine vapor to fix an image on a plate. The process used the xerographic principle of setting up electrostatic charges on a plate wherever light struck it. It was the sharpness in the detail of the daguerreotypes that convinced researchers that Daguerre’s process was xerographic.
Unfortunately, his process was cumbersome and dangerous. Nor did Daguerre understand how the process worked. If he had, Abraham Lincoln might have had a copier in the White House!
That humans are ever inventive and creative arises from the fact that they are the creation of an unlimited and wonderful Creator.
I thank You, Lord, for the gift of inventiveness that You have given to man. I ask that we may always be guided to use our creativity and inventiveness to Your glory. Amen.
Bower, Bruce. 1985. Picturing an electric look. Science News, v. 127, Feb. 2, p. 74. Photo: Portrait of Louis Daguerre (1787-1851). (PD)
2 Chronicles 26:15
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
Xerography is the process used in most copying machines today. The page you want copied is exposed to the bright light in the machine. That light enables the machine to make an image of your original, using electrostatic charges to record the light and dark spots on your original. The toner – that fine black powder – is then drawn to those spots on the copier paper in exactly the same spots that were dark on your original. After the powder is fixed in place, your copy – perfect in every detail – pops out.
Most of us consider xerography to be a modern work-saving wonder. However, xerography may not be such a modern invention. Researchers at Stanford Research Institute now believe that xerography was invented and first used almost 150 years ago!
That’s when Louis Daguerre introduced the photographic process named after him. The earliest photographs we have are daguerreotypes. These sharp, crisp pictures used silver and iodine vapor to fix an image on a plate. The process used the xerographic principle of setting up electrostatic charges on a plate wherever light struck it. It was the sharpness in the detail of the daguerreotypes that convinced researchers that Daguerre’s process was xerographic.
Unfortunately, his process was cumbersome and dangerous. Nor did Daguerre understand how the process worked. If he had, Abraham Lincoln might have had a copier in the White House!
That humans are ever inventive and creative arises from the fact that they are the creation of an unlimited and wonderful Creator.
I thank You, Lord, for the gift of inventiveness that You have given to man. I ask that we may always be guided to use our creativity and inventiveness to Your glory. Amen.
Bower, Bruce. 1985. Picturing an electric look. Science News, v. 127, Feb. 2, p. 74. Photo: Portrait of Louis Daguerre (1787-1851). (PD)
THE SALT OF THE EARTH
Matthew 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
There are many different kinds of salts that occur naturally in our environment. Yet, only one of those salts stirs our taste buds. That salt � sodium chloride � is the tastiest of all the salts and the one that all living things need. The amazing chemistry behind this mystery shows that this is no accident.
The sodium in common table salt is crucially important in keeping the body�s water in balance. That makes common table salt irreplaceable for most land animals and humans. We cannot taste anything unless its molecules are able to get into the dense network of filaments that coat our taste buds. Most salts, such as aluminum or magnesium salts, offer no appealing flavor. This is because the molecules that make up these salts are too large to get through the filaments around our taste buds.
So sodium chloride, common table salt, is a carefully designed molecule. We need the sodium, but can�t really taste it. The chloride, however, is small enough to get into our taste buds and provide that salty taste. Linked together, each part of the molecule serves a crucial purpose in giving salt its flavor.
There are many beliefs among humans and many types of behavior. However, there is no other way to come to our Creator and God than through the forgiveness of sins that�s found in Jesus Christ. Nor is there any other way for us to be truly God�s salt in the world than by making His forgiveness, Word and will part of our very beings.
I thank You, Lord, that even the molecular designs in Your creation serve to make life possible. I pray that my life may be so thoroughly informed by Your Word that I cannot help but be true salt in witness to Your salvation. Amen.
Ezzell, Carol. 1991. �Salt�s technique for tickling the taste buds.� Science News, Vol. 140, p. 276. Photo: Salt crystals. Courtesy of W.J.Pilsak.
Matthew 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
There are many different kinds of salts that occur naturally in our environment. Yet, only one of those salts stirs our taste buds. That salt � sodium chloride � is the tastiest of all the salts and the one that all living things need. The amazing chemistry behind this mystery shows that this is no accident.
The sodium in common table salt is crucially important in keeping the body�s water in balance. That makes common table salt irreplaceable for most land animals and humans. We cannot taste anything unless its molecules are able to get into the dense network of filaments that coat our taste buds. Most salts, such as aluminum or magnesium salts, offer no appealing flavor. This is because the molecules that make up these salts are too large to get through the filaments around our taste buds.
So sodium chloride, common table salt, is a carefully designed molecule. We need the sodium, but can�t really taste it. The chloride, however, is small enough to get into our taste buds and provide that salty taste. Linked together, each part of the molecule serves a crucial purpose in giving salt its flavor.
There are many beliefs among humans and many types of behavior. However, there is no other way to come to our Creator and God than through the forgiveness of sins that�s found in Jesus Christ. Nor is there any other way for us to be truly God�s salt in the world than by making His forgiveness, Word and will part of our very beings.
I thank You, Lord, that even the molecular designs in Your creation serve to make life possible. I pray that my life may be so thoroughly informed by Your Word that I cannot help but be true salt in witness to Your salvation. Amen.
Ezzell, Carol. 1991. �Salt�s technique for tickling the taste buds.� Science News, Vol. 140, p. 276. Photo: Salt crystals. Courtesy of W.J.Pilsak.
THE MOUSE WITH RADIATION PROTECTION
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care on him; for he careth for you.
Most mice are nocturnal. The African four-striped grass mouse, however, operates in the fierce equatorial sun.
The African four-striped grass mouse goes out in the hottest sun to eat roots, green grass and seeds. It may do its shopping on the ground or climb a low branch to select food from a low shrub. The chipmunk-like mouse is found throughout eastern and southern Africa, where the sun is the strongest. Near the equator, the powerful sunlight also includes powerful doses of ultraviolet radiation.
The African four-striped grass mouse is more equipped to handle this harsh environment than most other creatures. Beneath its fur, the mouse has melanin-pigmented skin. Melanin is the pigment that turns our skin brown when it�s exposed to the sun. Melanin protects the skin from sun damage, including ultraviolet radiation. The grass mouse also has an additional melanin-pigmented layer between its skull and its outer skin. This layer provides additional protection for the mouse�s brain. Only three other African rodents have this special protective helmet. White tent-making bats of South America have similar protection. While these bats sleep during the day, they sleep in a curled position that exposes their heads to the South American sun.
This special protection was obviously designed keeping in mind the danger of over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Humans have only recently learned about these dangers. We can safely guess that the animal world doesn�t know about it at all. But our all-wise Creator does.
Lord, I thank You that You have commanded us to pray and assured us that the Father hears us and knows our need, even before we ask. I thank You that I am not the product of a mindless, uncaring universe. I thank You for Your love. Amen.
Carter, Laura S. 1992. �Ban the Soleil.� Natural History, June, p. 76. Photo: Four-striped Grass Mouse. Courtesy of C.R.Selvakumar. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care on him; for he careth for you.
Most mice are nocturnal. The African four-striped grass mouse, however, operates in the fierce equatorial sun.
The African four-striped grass mouse goes out in the hottest sun to eat roots, green grass and seeds. It may do its shopping on the ground or climb a low branch to select food from a low shrub. The chipmunk-like mouse is found throughout eastern and southern Africa, where the sun is the strongest. Near the equator, the powerful sunlight also includes powerful doses of ultraviolet radiation.
The African four-striped grass mouse is more equipped to handle this harsh environment than most other creatures. Beneath its fur, the mouse has melanin-pigmented skin. Melanin is the pigment that turns our skin brown when it�s exposed to the sun. Melanin protects the skin from sun damage, including ultraviolet radiation. The grass mouse also has an additional melanin-pigmented layer between its skull and its outer skin. This layer provides additional protection for the mouse�s brain. Only three other African rodents have this special protective helmet. White tent-making bats of South America have similar protection. While these bats sleep during the day, they sleep in a curled position that exposes their heads to the South American sun.
This special protection was obviously designed keeping in mind the danger of over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Humans have only recently learned about these dangers. We can safely guess that the animal world doesn�t know about it at all. But our all-wise Creator does.
Lord, I thank You that You have commanded us to pray and assured us that the Father hears us and knows our need, even before we ask. I thank You that I am not the product of a mindless, uncaring universe. I thank You for Your love. Amen.
Carter, Laura S. 1992. �Ban the Soleil.� Natural History, June, p. 76. Photo: Four-striped Grass Mouse. Courtesy of C.R.Selvakumar. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
TINY SUPERLATIVES AND GOD�S LOVE
Psalm 10:14
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
Hummingbirds are among the most exquisite jewels in God�s creation. Many of their activities and habits seem almost unreal.
I know of no one who has ever tired of watching a hummingbird hover or fly backward. Our sense of wonder is not decreased because we understand how the bird can do these tricks. Perhaps an even greater wonder is how these tiny, fragile creatures can make their way in a large and often hostile world.
Consider the broad-tailed hummingbird, for instance. This tiny hummingbird migrates 1,200 miles between Mexico and the Colorado Rockies each year. Its nesting site in the Rockies is filled with predators. In this setting, the mother searches for a protected branch where she will build her fragile nest. It�s best if there is another branch right above the nesting branch to provide shelter from the elements as well as visual cover from hawks and blue jays. She weaves her nest, about the size of half a golf ball, from spider webs and down from plants. It will take two and one-half weeks for her two pea-sized eggs to hatch. In the meantime, the tiny mother, who weighs less than one-eighth of an ounce, must keep herself and her eggs warm in temperatures that can drop below freezing.
God has equipped the delicate hummingbird with intelligence and excellent flying ability, so that even though it is tiny and weak, it can make its living. The continued existence of this fragile creature glorifies its Creator, not the principle of survival of the fittest!
I am filled with wonder, Father, at how You have designed and cared for the hummingbird. When I am tempted to act by my own strength instead of Yours, remind me of Your care for the fragile hummingbird. In Jesus� Name. Amen.
Calder, William A. 1992. �Ten years on an aspen branch.� Natural History, July, p. 4. Photo: Broad-tailed hummingbird. Courtesy of Michelle Lynn Reynolds. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Psalm 10:14
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
Hummingbirds are among the most exquisite jewels in God�s creation. Many of their activities and habits seem almost unreal.
I know of no one who has ever tired of watching a hummingbird hover or fly backward. Our sense of wonder is not decreased because we understand how the bird can do these tricks. Perhaps an even greater wonder is how these tiny, fragile creatures can make their way in a large and often hostile world.
Consider the broad-tailed hummingbird, for instance. This tiny hummingbird migrates 1,200 miles between Mexico and the Colorado Rockies each year. Its nesting site in the Rockies is filled with predators. In this setting, the mother searches for a protected branch where she will build her fragile nest. It�s best if there is another branch right above the nesting branch to provide shelter from the elements as well as visual cover from hawks and blue jays. She weaves her nest, about the size of half a golf ball, from spider webs and down from plants. It will take two and one-half weeks for her two pea-sized eggs to hatch. In the meantime, the tiny mother, who weighs less than one-eighth of an ounce, must keep herself and her eggs warm in temperatures that can drop below freezing.
God has equipped the delicate hummingbird with intelligence and excellent flying ability, so that even though it is tiny and weak, it can make its living. The continued existence of this fragile creature glorifies its Creator, not the principle of survival of the fittest!
I am filled with wonder, Father, at how You have designed and cared for the hummingbird. When I am tempted to act by my own strength instead of Yours, remind me of Your care for the fragile hummingbird. In Jesus� Name. Amen.
Calder, William A. 1992. �Ten years on an aspen branch.� Natural History, July, p. 4. Photo: Broad-tailed hummingbird. Courtesy of Michelle Lynn Reynolds. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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