Did you ever find a nest of five or six little helpless mice? They are so tiny and cute! Maybe you wondered what to do with them, knowing that if allowed to live they would become very troublesome. If you disposed of them, the mother mouse, who scampered away when you discovered her nest, would be sad for only a little while, as soon there would be more little ones to take their place.
Mice give birth to about five babies 15 or more times a year. The little ones grow so fast that before they are a month old they begin raising families of their own. If all of these mice survived, within a year’s time there would be thousands of mice, just starting with the original pair. Thankfully, this never happens because most of them do not live long.
There are many kinds of mice, but most of us have seen only the house mouse which can be a real nuisance. We might even consider these little fellows, with their beady eyes, long whiskers, pointed snouts, velvet ears and long tails, extremely interesting. But when we realize how much damage they can cause, our main concern becomes that of finding how to get rid of them.
Still, they are God’s creatures, and He has provided them with the ability to survive in spite of many enemies. We know that when the world and its inhabitants were formed by the Creator all were at peace with one another. But the sin of Adam and Eve spoiled that perfection and brought hostility and bloodshed among various creatures. Ever since, mice have been the prey of cats and dogs, snakes, owls and hawks, coyotes and many others. They have survived through the centuries only because God has given them much skill and enabled them to bear many young, as mentioned above.
Not all mice are destructive. Some of the wild ones are important to the maintenance of wild areas. Although seldom seen because they are creatures of the night, there is scarcely a square foot of the deserts and sagebrush areas of America that is not visited by them every night.
Although mice may not be visible to us because of their habits of hiding during the day and feeding at night, they are never hidden from the One who created them. He keeps them under His watchful eye at all times. He says, “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” Jeremiah 23:2424Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24). Isn’t it nice to know He is watching over even these little mice as well as over each one of us?
Have you ever applied this Bible verse to yourself: “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever"? Psalms 107:11O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 107:1). He loves to hear you thank Him for every mercy, but above all for coming into the world to provide salvation for all who trust in Him. Don’t forget to thank Him for this wonderful love.
ML-06/24/1984