The black wasp caterpillar hunter is a most interesting creature. The female has an unusual way of making a nest for her young. First she digs a tunnel several inches deep in hard-packed sand. She carries one load of sand after another between her front legs and chin. Backing out of the tunnel, she flies off and dumps the sand some distance away so there will be no clue there is a nest nearby.
After finishing the tunnel, she hides it by pulling a pebble over the entrance, brushing sand over the pebble to also hide it. However, through God-given ability, she herself always returns to the exact spot. Then she hunts for a caterpillar, pricking it in several places with her stinger. This will not kill the caterpillar, but paralyzes it. Where did she learn to do this? When the Creator designed this wasp, He gave her this skill, and it has been passed on to all generations ever since.
Next, she drags the captive to her burrow, removes the pebble, pushes the caterpillar down the tunnel, and then replaces the pebble. This process is repeated until there are several caterpillars down in the tunnel, and then she deposits her eggs alongside the paralyzed caterpillars. She then fills the tunnel with sand and tamps it down firmly with a pebble held in her mouth and front feet. Her work is finished, and she flies off and does not return.
But the Creator does not forget about those eggs. Soon the warmth of the sand causes the eggs to hatch into larvae which feed on the caterpillars. They soon turn into mature wasps and work their way to the surface of the tunnel and fly off.
What are we to learn from these interesting wasps? First, that the Lord God delighted in creating many wonderful things. Second, to observe that everything He created (except mankind) obeys the instructions implanted in them and does not try to change their ways. By this we learn that God is pleased with obedience of His creatures. How it must please Him when we voluntarily desire to obey and serve Him. The Bible tells of some people asking, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered . . . This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent” (John 6:28-2928Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:28‑29)). When you truly believe on Him as your Lord and Saviour, you receive a new life and nature that is happy only when doing what is pleasing in His sight. Is this true of you?
ML-12/17/2000