Clams, scallops and oysters are included in the family known as bivalves. They all live in double shells, hinged with a strong ligament, which they can open or close.
Most clams live in soft sand or mud where they disappear quickly when danger threatens. The razor clam, an especially tasty treat, can dig its way to safety faster than most people can dig to catch it. But some clams, such as the quahog, do not dig at all.
The boring clam, which needs to be loosened with a pickaxe, can burrow into hard clay or sandstone, using the sharp edge of its shell as a tool. Its extended “foot” anchors it in place while working, and a tube, called a siphon (which can be as much as a foot long), extends up to the clean, surface water for its food supply.
In the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, giant clams, up to four feet long and weighing several hundred pounds, thrive in large colonies.
Scallops are similar in many ways to clams. Their orange flesh, housed in a pretty ribbed shell, is a favorite of seafood lovers. The unusual feature about a scallop is its ability to swim through the water by jet propulsion while its double shell opens and closes.
Oysters, found in most of the world’s oceans, have their own way of life. They do not burrow; they remain on the bottom or cling to some solid object. They obtain microscopic food particles from the constant flow of water passing over them. Because oysters are a tasty food in great demand, “oyster farms” raise them commercially in many places.
Pearls, found in oysters, are the result of an irritant, like sand, that gets inside the shell. The oyster tries to relieve this irritation by covering the grain of sand with nacre (a substance called mother-of-pearl). As the layers of nacre build up, they eventually produce a lovely pearl (white, pink, black or gray) and usually have a shiny luster to add to their beauty.
None of these shellfish are aware of their dependence on God, yet “these wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their meat in due season” (Psalm 104:2727These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. (Psalm 104:27)). How gracious a provider He is to all His creation. But we ourselves should be aware of our dependence on Him, as the question asks, “Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:9-109Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? 10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:9‑10)).
Let us never forget to thank Him for every blessing, and especially for the gift of His beloved Son “who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:66Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:6)).
ML-04/05/2009