It seems most people don’t want to talk about spiders, and they definitely don’t want to find one creeping on a bare arm or neck! It’s easy to understand why. Spiders are not attractive like a bird or brightly colored butterfly, but are rather evil-looking.
Many people think spiders are poisonous, or at least dangerous. However, spiders are actually helpful, because they eat large quantities of flies, mosquitoes and other harmful insects. But still, it is most unpleasant to walk into a sticky web and have it cling to your face, neck or arm.
The many varieties of these unpopular eight-legged animals have some amazing ways which the Creator has provided for them. Scientists have discovered that there are 50,000 to 100,000 species throughout the world, some of which are extremely interesting.
Some are as tiny as the head of a pin. Others range in size up to the largest one discovered so far, the hairy South American bird spider. This giant measures almost 12 inches across its body, not including the legs! It catches and disposes of small birds and creatures the size of lizards.
People in North America don’t need to be concerned about giant spiders, but they should be aware of the six species that are poisonous - the sack spider, the brown recluse, the black widow and other related widows - the brown widow, the red-legged widow, and the varied widow. Most of these choose dark, hidden spots for their homes. If it is necessary for you to crawl through a dark attic or an unlit basement, be sure you have a flashlight to make certain there is no poisonous spider there.
Incidentally, of the four “widow” spiders, only the females are known to bite people. They are so vicious that when a male spider wants to be friendly she will often kill and eat the poor fellow. Males do not bite.
The silk-like webs of spiders are strong and elastic and are constructed in a variety of shapes. Some spiders, wanting a new home base, climb onto fence posts or branches and release silk. As the strands become longer, the wind lifts the spiders off their perches and floats them off to a new area, often many miles away. This is called ballooning.
The Bible verse quoted above reminds us that the Creator is aware of spiders. If He looks on these odd creatures which have only a short life and then are gone forever, how much more does He think of you and me who have a soul that lives forever after our time on earth is over. Our Lord’s invitation to us, young and old, is, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). If you have not yet accepted that loving invitation, won’t you accept it today?
Next time we will consider the amazing Jumping spiders.
MAY 22, 1994
ML-05/22/1994