The Wonders of God’s Creation
Those who grow gardens know about the little insects, called aphids, that live on the stems of tender plants. They pierce them with their mouths and suck out the sugary juices. When the gardener finds them he usually tries to get rid of them, but there are many places where they live unnoticed by the gardener.
The aphid keeps only a small amount of this sugar in its body. The rest, known as “honeydew,” comes through its pores and appears as little droplets on its outer surface. Certain ants who search out these aphids have learned that, by stroking the aphid’s back with their antennae, it will give up the honeydew. This is used as food for the ant colony. Sometimes ants are found taking care of a large colony of aphids. In doing this they look like milkmaids milking their cows.
If a good supply of honeydew is available, the ants, after stuffing themselves full, take it to other ants in their nest. These ants, known as “honey pots,” accept all the honey brought to them, until their abdomen is stretched to its limit, and they look like a round, amber-colored ball. When they can’t hold any more they crawl to the ceilings of a chamber in the colony where they hang upside down and “go into storage.” Sometimes they hang this way for a year or more, a remarkable feat, because when full of honey they weigh about eight times their normal weight! A colony might contain 300 or more of these honeypots. In winter months when the aphids are gone and food is scarce outside, the honeypots allow their companions to draw the rich nectar from them.
Strangely, the aphids don’t seem to mind the action of the ants and perhaps enjoy it. Sometimes the ants build an earthen barricade around their “cows,” apparently to make sure they will remain in place. The eggs of the aphids are sometimes taken into the ants’ nest before winter and given good care. When they hatch in the spring, the ants carry them to the new shoots of juice-producing plants, and then move them from time to time to the best spots.
The ants greatly enjoy the flavor of this honey, but Scripture tells us of something that has even more sweetness: “The judgments (words) of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” Psalms 19:9-119The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:9‑11). Does the name of the Saviour and His words have that sweet meaning to you?
ML-12/07/1980