The Creator has provided interesting ways for many of His creatures to protect themselves from danger while gathering food. He has given them various camouflages so they cannot be easily seen.
One of these is the katydid, an insect that has green wings which match the color of the leaves where it nests. These wings also cover its back, like a strong armor, keeping birds from attacking it.
Leafhoppers are protected in much the same way. They are colored like the plants on which they feed, but the “armor” on their backs comes to a high, sharp-looking point that scares most enemies away.
In South America the false-eyed frog has large imitation eyes on its back. When this little fellow is in danger, he turns his back and bends his head down low to hide his real eyes. Usually the attacker, looking at the fierce imitation eyes, leaves in a hurry.
A bright yellow caterpillar, called synchlora, bites off chunks of flowers of various colors, rolls them into small coils, and attaches them all over its body with sticky threads. Then it’s ready to feed on a variety of flowers, fully disguised and safe from birds that would otherwise quickly eat it.
You may have heard how some ants make friends with little bugs known as wooly alder aphids. The ants gently lick a sweet fluid from the aphids’ bodies; this does not hurt the aphids. To protect this good source of sweets, some of the ants stay by the aphids all day to protect them from intruders. However, aphids of another kind sometimes sneak into a colony of the sweet aphids and kill some. Then they pull off pieces of their sticky wool to attach over their own bodies. This makes them look like the real thing. Unfortunately, the ants are fooled and protect these intruders, just as they do the real wooly alders.
Isn’t it wonderful how the Creator has provided for these and many other little creatures? It is easy to see how they can hide from their enemies and fool them. But we also think of how misbehaving boys and girls (and older people too) try to fool others by pretending to be innocent when guilty of some offence. Our beginning Bible verse tells us there is One from whom we can never hide. Proverbs 15:33The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3) also tells us, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” It is good to ask the Lord Jesus every day, as the psalmist did, “Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments [instructions]. . . . Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity [foolish or evil things]” (Psalm 119:35,3735Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. (Psalm 119:35)
37Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. (Psalm 119:37)). Our loving Lord delights to hear such a request and will help you.
(to be continued)
ML-08/26/2007