The frilled lizard, about thirty-two inches long including its ten-inch tail, lives in Australia and New Guinea. When threatened, it opens its mouth wide and fans out a collar of skin around its neck, making it look much larger than it actually is. At the same time it hisses fiercely, rearing up on its hind legs and thrashing its tail. Though it is bluffing, these antics frighten off almost anything.
Another, the moloch lizard, lives in dry, hot deserts. It is a strange-looking lizard with an upturned snout and horny crest on its head. Its body almost looks as though it’s made of grape-size chunks of flesh, poorly glued together. Sharp points extend all along its back to the tip of its long tail. It is one of the many lizards able to change colors to match its surroundings. It satisfies its thirst in the same way as the barking gecko in last week’s article. It collects moisture on its skin from fog changing into water drops. These drops run to its mouth along tiny canals.
Male agamas, African residents, are brightly colored in brilliant reds, blues, greens and yellows. The female is not so spectacular in her olive-green color, but she does have bright red spots on her sides. These lizards come boldly into houses, dashing on their long legs after insects or squatting on pieces of furniture with their heads bobbing up and down.
Why are there so many different kinds of lizards, and why did the Creator make them? We find the answer in the Bible. It was not His purpose merely to have a beautiful globe spinning through space, but that all kinds of living things should make their homes on it. We read this in Isaiah 45:1818For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:18): “God Himself that formed the earth ... created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.” Also in Revelation 4:1111Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11) it says, “For [His] pleasure they are and were created.”
In His kind thoughts toward people, whom He says are the most important part of His creation, we are told of “the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). Not only did He have pleasure in His creation, but He also wants us to share that pleasure with Him.
Another kind of creation is also mentioned in the Bible: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This means that those who accept Christ as their Saviour receive a new life that is pleasing to God. When we walk in His ways, this brings happiness to us as well. Have you become part of that new creation by accepting Christ as your Saviour?
ML-11/18/2012