SOLITARY BEES
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Creation Moments has often talked about the social activities of bees, and we tend to think that all bees live together in large colonies or hives. In fact, not all of them do. Like people, bees can actually be found in a variety of social relationships, including those who live most of their lives alone.
Some female bees of a species that live underground build their homes next to another female. They often connect their separate underground homes with a tunnel so they can visit each other. Sometimes they even lay their eggs near each other and raise their young together. Often one female will babysit both sets of young while the other goes out for groceries.
The almost universal need for companionship among living things should tell us something about the One Who created them. Our need for companionship should tell us that this is something that our Creator values too. In fact, the message throughout the Bible is that He made mankind so He would have someone to love.
Is He your number-one companion in your life? Do you know His love for you through His Son, Jesus Christ? Whether you don’t know Him at all, or whether you would like to know Him better, most Christians can attest to the fact that He really does speak to you through the pages of the Bible.
Dear Father, although You have made me for the purpose of having a loving relationship with You, I confess that at times I have withdrawn my love from You. Forgive me for Jesus’ sake, and help me to make You my number-one companion. Amen.
Joanne E. DeJonge, Bats & Bugs & Snakes & Slugs (Baker Book House), p. 60. Photo: Solitary bee. Courtesy of Alvesgaspar. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Creation Moments has often talked about the social activities of bees, and we tend to think that all bees live together in large colonies or hives. In fact, not all of them do. Like people, bees can actually be found in a variety of social relationships, including those who live most of their lives alone.
Some female bees of a species that live underground build their homes next to another female. They often connect their separate underground homes with a tunnel so they can visit each other. Sometimes they even lay their eggs near each other and raise their young together. Often one female will babysit both sets of young while the other goes out for groceries.
The almost universal need for companionship among living things should tell us something about the One Who created them. Our need for companionship should tell us that this is something that our Creator values too. In fact, the message throughout the Bible is that He made mankind so He would have someone to love.
Is He your number-one companion in your life? Do you know His love for you through His Son, Jesus Christ? Whether you don’t know Him at all, or whether you would like to know Him better, most Christians can attest to the fact that He really does speak to you through the pages of the Bible.
Dear Father, although You have made me for the purpose of having a loving relationship with You, I confess that at times I have withdrawn my love from You. Forgive me for Jesus’ sake, and help me to make You my number-one companion. Amen.
Joanne E. DeJonge, Bats & Bugs & Snakes & Slugs (Baker Book House), p. 60. Photo: Solitary bee. Courtesy of Alvesgaspar. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
YEAST ENTERS ELECTRONICS PRODUCTION
Exodus 12:15
“Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”
Probably the first thing that comes to your mind when yeast is mentioned is its use in making bread. Even three and a half thousand years ago, when Israel left Egypt, yeast was in common use.
Physicists at AT&T Bell Laboratories have learned that yeast has yet another amazing ability. For years, scientists have tried to make semi-conducting crystals for modern electronics that are as small as individual molecules. But scientists had difficulty making such crystals consistently small enough. Now they know that yeast can do it. When fed cadmium sulfide, yeasts try to detoxify the metal and in the process, produce precisely those tiny electronic crystals scientists have been looking for. Someday you may bake bread made with yeast in a microwave oven that is controlled by a computer containing tiny electronic parts also made by yeast!
Because the Bible is a real-life book that tells about a real-life God – the true God – we should not be surprised to learn that the Creator is interested in man’s real-life everyday activities. We can also explore what He has created, always expecting to learn some new thing that He has placed in His creation to help us. But the most important thing we can learn is how excellent and true is the real life-saving Word of our Creator for us today!
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You that I can clearly see that You are interested in all aspects of my life. Help me to remember Your all-encompassing love and care as I face life and as I help others face life with You. Amen.
F. Flam. “Semiconductor studies get a rise from yeast.” Science News, April 15, 1989, p. 231. Photo: Yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Exodus 12:15
“Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”
Probably the first thing that comes to your mind when yeast is mentioned is its use in making bread. Even three and a half thousand years ago, when Israel left Egypt, yeast was in common use.
Physicists at AT&T Bell Laboratories have learned that yeast has yet another amazing ability. For years, scientists have tried to make semi-conducting crystals for modern electronics that are as small as individual molecules. But scientists had difficulty making such crystals consistently small enough. Now they know that yeast can do it. When fed cadmium sulfide, yeasts try to detoxify the metal and in the process, produce precisely those tiny electronic crystals scientists have been looking for. Someday you may bake bread made with yeast in a microwave oven that is controlled by a computer containing tiny electronic parts also made by yeast!
Because the Bible is a real-life book that tells about a real-life God – the true God – we should not be surprised to learn that the Creator is interested in man’s real-life everyday activities. We can also explore what He has created, always expecting to learn some new thing that He has placed in His creation to help us. But the most important thing we can learn is how excellent and true is the real life-saving Word of our Creator for us today!
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You that I can clearly see that You are interested in all aspects of my life. Help me to remember Your all-encompassing love and care as I face life and as I help others face life with You. Amen.
F. Flam. “Semiconductor studies get a rise from yeast.” Science News, April 15, 1989, p. 231. Photo: Yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
SPACE-AGE VINDICATION FOR THE BIBLE
Job 26:7
“He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”
The Earth floats in space, attached to nothing, surrounded by a thin layer of air. What science has only just learned, the Bible has taught for thousands of years! While some ancient peoples pictured the world as flat or resting upon giant turtles, God told the Jews, in Job 26:7, that He hangs the Earth on nothing.
In the first chapter of Genesis we are told that God created a “firmament.” The word translated “firmament” in these verses comes from a Hebrew root word that refers to the process of making a statue. When making a statue, the ancient craftsman would first make a wooden form of the statue, then take gold, a very soft and easily worked metal, and begin to pound thin sheets of it onto the wooden form until the wood was completely covered by a thin, form-fitted layer of gold.
Until recent times, when the Earth was first viewed from space, the Hebrew word translated “firmament” puzzled many people. Then it became clear. The Earth, literally hanging on nothing in space, was surrounded by a thin, form-fitted layer – that is, of course, our atmosphere!
The Bible tells the truth in all the subjects it mentions. But no matter how long science studies, it cannot learn about God’s love to us in Jesus Christ. This is revealed to us only by the Bible!
Lord, Your Word is truth. Strengthen us in Your truth so that we may not be misled by the false claims that label Your revelation to us “out of date.” Help my faith to be more than just good intentions, but to be well informed by Your Word of Life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: The Earth as seen from Apollo 17.
Job 26:7
“He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”
The Earth floats in space, attached to nothing, surrounded by a thin layer of air. What science has only just learned, the Bible has taught for thousands of years! While some ancient peoples pictured the world as flat or resting upon giant turtles, God told the Jews, in Job 26:7, that He hangs the Earth on nothing.
In the first chapter of Genesis we are told that God created a “firmament.” The word translated “firmament” in these verses comes from a Hebrew root word that refers to the process of making a statue. When making a statue, the ancient craftsman would first make a wooden form of the statue, then take gold, a very soft and easily worked metal, and begin to pound thin sheets of it onto the wooden form until the wood was completely covered by a thin, form-fitted layer of gold.
Until recent times, when the Earth was first viewed from space, the Hebrew word translated “firmament” puzzled many people. Then it became clear. The Earth, literally hanging on nothing in space, was surrounded by a thin, form-fitted layer – that is, of course, our atmosphere!
The Bible tells the truth in all the subjects it mentions. But no matter how long science studies, it cannot learn about God’s love to us in Jesus Christ. This is revealed to us only by the Bible!
Lord, Your Word is truth. Strengthen us in Your truth so that we may not be misled by the false claims that label Your revelation to us “out of date.” Help my faith to be more than just good intentions, but to be well informed by Your Word of Life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Photo: The Earth as seen from Apollo 17.
THE ADDER ACTOR
Matthew 10:16
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
Some animals use quite a bag of tricks to make their living or protect themselves. The puff adder is one example of a “wise serpent.” The puff adder is harmless, and if you try to grab him he will coil himself up so that you will have to reach past his head. Then he puffs his head up just like a cobra. No one wants to grab a cobra! If you try again, he will realize that this plan isn’t working, so he’ll go to plan “B” – he’ll strike at your leg, pretending to bite but won’t bite, but he hopes you’ll run off. If you persist, the puff adder goes to plan “C” – writhing on the ground as if he is in terrible pain. Finally, he turns over on his back, tongue hanging out of his mouth as if he were dead. Even if you pick him up and handle him, he will continue to pretend he is “dead” unless you put him back onto the ground on his stomach. If you do that, he’ll flip over and return to his original “dead” position.
Jesus warned Christians not to be foolish, but rather to be wise like the serpent, yet harmless as doves. He has given the puff adder wisdom, but just think how much more wisdom He wants to give us if only we will allow Him.
Dear Father, You have taught the creatures of Your creation so many things that even we can learn from them. Do not let me be satisfied with this wisdom alone, but rather seek Your deeper wisdom in the pages of Your Word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Joanne E. DeJonge, Bats & Bugs & Snakes & Slugs (Baker Book House), pp. 66-67. Photo: Courtesy of Dawson. North American eastern hognose snake is also known as a puff adder. This should not be confused with venomous African vipers which are also called puff adders. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
Matthew 10:16
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
Some animals use quite a bag of tricks to make their living or protect themselves. The puff adder is one example of a “wise serpent.” The puff adder is harmless, and if you try to grab him he will coil himself up so that you will have to reach past his head. Then he puffs his head up just like a cobra. No one wants to grab a cobra! If you try again, he will realize that this plan isn’t working, so he’ll go to plan “B” – he’ll strike at your leg, pretending to bite but won’t bite, but he hopes you’ll run off. If you persist, the puff adder goes to plan “C” – writhing on the ground as if he is in terrible pain. Finally, he turns over on his back, tongue hanging out of his mouth as if he were dead. Even if you pick him up and handle him, he will continue to pretend he is “dead” unless you put him back onto the ground on his stomach. If you do that, he’ll flip over and return to his original “dead” position.
Jesus warned Christians not to be foolish, but rather to be wise like the serpent, yet harmless as doves. He has given the puff adder wisdom, but just think how much more wisdom He wants to give us if only we will allow Him.
Dear Father, You have taught the creatures of Your creation so many things that even we can learn from them. Do not let me be satisfied with this wisdom alone, but rather seek Your deeper wisdom in the pages of Your Word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Joanne E. DeJonge, Bats & Bugs & Snakes & Slugs (Baker Book House), pp. 66-67. Photo: Courtesy of Dawson. North American eastern hognose snake is also known as a puff adder. This should not be confused with venomous African vipers which are also called puff adders. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
NON-REPRODUCIBLE REPRODUCTION
Genesis 1:31
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
Many of us can remember how, in biology class, we had to learn how different animals reproduce. Some give birth to live young while others lay eggs. But the thrip does it both ways! The thrip is a gnat-like bug that lives within decaying leaves and helps to break them down. The thrip has another surprise: it reproduces twice a year. The first time in the season, the female thrip lays eggs and all the thrips that hatch are females. But during a later mating period, the female thrip gives birth to living young who are all males and immediately ready to begin the typical life of a thrip. Researchers continue to study the thrip to find out how this strange birth-pattern can be of benefit.
But see what the researchers are really saying. They assume that this unusual arrangement benefits the thrip because they see no evidence of thrips struggling to survive. It is argued that those not fitted for the unusual birth-pattern died out long ago and only the fittest survived. However, this is really a hollow argument based upon circular reasoning and assumptions. Wouldn’t it be more straightforward to simply admit that the birth-pattern arrangement for the thrip is a good one and shows clear evidence of design? The problem is that to admit this would admit to a Designer and eventually the Creator.
Heavenly Father, I often forget just how creative You are, especially when my problems seem so great and no solution seems possible. Help me to have a strong faith that remembers how creative You have been in making the tiny thrip and to realize how much more You love me. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
“Researcher finds bug that lays eggs and gives live birth.” Star Tribune, Monday, April 3, 1989. Photo: Thrip shown on a finger for scale. Courtesy of OpenCage. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
Genesis 1:31
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
Many of us can remember how, in biology class, we had to learn how different animals reproduce. Some give birth to live young while others lay eggs. But the thrip does it both ways! The thrip is a gnat-like bug that lives within decaying leaves and helps to break them down. The thrip has another surprise: it reproduces twice a year. The first time in the season, the female thrip lays eggs and all the thrips that hatch are females. But during a later mating period, the female thrip gives birth to living young who are all males and immediately ready to begin the typical life of a thrip. Researchers continue to study the thrip to find out how this strange birth-pattern can be of benefit.
But see what the researchers are really saying. They assume that this unusual arrangement benefits the thrip because they see no evidence of thrips struggling to survive. It is argued that those not fitted for the unusual birth-pattern died out long ago and only the fittest survived. However, this is really a hollow argument based upon circular reasoning and assumptions. Wouldn’t it be more straightforward to simply admit that the birth-pattern arrangement for the thrip is a good one and shows clear evidence of design? The problem is that to admit this would admit to a Designer and eventually the Creator.
Heavenly Father, I often forget just how creative You are, especially when my problems seem so great and no solution seems possible. Help me to have a strong faith that remembers how creative You have been in making the tiny thrip and to realize how much more You love me. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
“Researcher finds bug that lays eggs and gives live birth.” Star Tribune, Monday, April 3, 1989. Photo: Thrip shown on a finger for scale. Courtesy of OpenCage. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
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