Garden Eels
If you were to look underwater near some Red Sea beaches, you might come across what looks like a group of three-foot-long pieces of black garden hose standing upright, gently swaying as the water flows around them. But as you would move closer, they would, one by one, sink out of sight into the ocean bottom. Then, if you remained perfectly still, they would come back up. These marine creatures are called garden eels.
They are nourished by specks of sea life that float into them. They point their mouths toward the underwater current to catch drifting food. Occasionally they bend over and fight one another, perhaps over bits of food. But they usually stay upright all day long, sinking into their anchor burrows at night. The garden eel will always keep a part of its body inside the burrow even when feeding.
Flying Fish
Unlike garden eels that spend most of their time motionless, flying fish spend most of their life in motion. Many of them make their homes in warm waters near the equator, but some can be found in warm waters as far north as Florida and California, as well as other parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The smallest species are only about 2 inches long, and the largest are about 18 inches long.
These fish don’t really fly; they throw themselves out of the water by a strong push with their tails, leaping through the air several hundred yards. They spread out their fins, which act like the wings of a soaring bird. This is not done for fun. Like other small fish, they are often the targets of larger fish. They escape predators by taking to the air.
Sometimes they look like skipping stones as they skim over the waves, their tails flipping them back up each time they drop down to the surface of the water. They are seldom very high in the air, but occasionally drop onto the decks of small boats. Then they are likely to wind up in a frying pan, for they make a very good meal.
Does the Lord God, the Creator, pay attention to such things as garden eels and flying fish? He certainly does, as a Bible verse tells us that “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)).
This verse and many more like it cover all living things. But it is most important to notice that this includes people, for whom He has a special loving care. He invites us to come to Him in faith and trust His wonderful love.
Do you know Him as your Savior?
ML-03/12/2017
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