In the deserts of southern United States the creamy blossoms of the yucca plant are a beautiful sight. But this plant would soon become extinct were it not for the work of a little moth. The moth itself also would not survive were it not for the yucca. They are entirely dependent on each other.
No bees, ants or other insects help pollinate the yucca flower. This is entirely the work of the pronuba moth. The moth seems to know what it has to do. The yucca blossom opens in the evening and is open most of the night. While still daylight the female moth flies to a half-open yucca blossom. At darkness when the blossom opens fully, she collects a good supply of pollen. Then she forms the pollen into a ball about the size of her head. Tucking it under her chin, she goes to another blossom. As she walks up the pistil (female part of the flower), she deposits several moth eggs into its hollow center. Then she continues her climb to the top where she deposits the load of pollen on the top part of the pistil, rubbing it in by pressing her head against it again and again. This pollinates the yucca flower.
After some time the flower (at the point where she deposited the eggs) turns into a pod with a hard shell filled with seeds, among which the eggs lie. These hatch out as tiny caterpillars who use the seeds as their only source of food. Later they chew through the pod, drop to the ground and spin themselves into cocoons. An adult moth eventually comes out of the cocoon to repeat the cycle at the same time that new flowers are forming on the yucca.
Any other moth would just find a place to lay her eggs and then be on her way. What has directed the pronuba to collect pollen from one flower, then change to another flower before laying her eggs, and finally to remain until she has disposed of the pollen so necessary to the life cycle of the yucca? Certainly all this is not by chance. A Supreme Power has told the little moth what to do.
Some will say this is only instinct. Perhaps this is right, but it is God-given instinct, and the little moth is obedient to it. How serious to realize that man has been given an intelligence much higher than instinct, but he is walking in his own way away from God. It must be said of man, “When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21-2221Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:21‑22)).
The Spirit of God pleads with everyone to “[cast] down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and [bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:55Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:5)). Is your heart submitting to Him, the Creator of everything?
MARCH 19, 1995
ML-03/19/1995