In spite of its frightful appearance, the octopus is usually a very timid creature and will not attack a person unless he tries to go into its home. There are more than 150 varieties of octopuses. Some are less than an inch long, others are 30 feet or more from the tip of one outstretched tentacle to the tip of an opposite outstretched tentacle, but those most commonly seen are only about 3 feet across.
This odd resident of the ocean has a plastic-like body with a large, dome-shaped head, containing not only its brain, but also its stomach and other organs. These are covered by a membrane called a mantle. Behind its mouth and strong, parrot-type beak are huge, human-like eyes. Eight snake-like tentacles stretch out from its body, each having on its underside about 100 suction cups. These suction cups look like buttons and attach themselves onto anything with a vise-like grip. The eight tentacles also act as feet to move along the ocean floor and as hands to pull up over an underwater rock or cliff.
A large opening in the mantle is always moving, sucking water over its gills and out through a siphon. This siphon can be pointed in any direction to provide jet propulsion. It also squirts inky fluid to make a “smoke screen” when pursued. Attached to the octopus’s skin are little bags of pigment. When these bags are held open various colors are exposed, which the octopus can change to appear striped, mottled or a solid color, to match its surroundings. How wonderfully the Creator has designed it for its way of life deep in the ocean!
The octopus is sometimes called devilfish because of its frightful appearance. In spite of this appearance, it does have enemies, particularly squid, whales and large eels which attack its soft body. Because of this it hunts at night. In daytime it hides in a cave where it piles old shells and rocks by the entrance.
Do you think God sees these octopuses deep on the ocean floor? He certainly does. The Bible tells us, “Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters” (Psalm 77:1919Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. (Psalm 77:19)). God sees and cares for everything He has created (including you and me), and He never takes His eye off them.
But He has a special care for mankind whom He has created “in His own image.” We are the only creatures invited to come to Him in faith. His Word assures us that “the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him” (Nahum 1:77The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. (Nahum 1:7)).
If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you may say as the Apostle Paul did, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-3938For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38‑39)).
OCTOBER 27, 1996
ML-10/27/1996