“By Him were all things created, that are in heaven [the sky], and that are in earth, visible and invisible.”
Colossians 1:1616For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16)
There are a great number of creatures that, unseen by most people, are very helpful to us. Worms, for instance, munch their way through the soil day and night, fertilizing it and making openings for water and nitrogen to reach plant roots. Bats fly unseen through dark nights, feeding on great numbers of mosquitoes and other insects.
There are also other forms of life not visible without a microscope -billions and billions of microorganisms. One of these is bacteria, without which we could not survive! Some bacteria cause a chemical change called fermentation. These special helpers are essential in making alcohol, bread, cheese, buttermilk, yogurt and many more food items. Bacteria which live in the digestive tracts of man and animals help in the digestion of certain foods.
Bacteria are also very important and useful to man in other ways. Certain of these helpers cause decay of dead animal and vegetable matter, dissolving this matter into plant food in the soil and gases in the atmosphere. Even oil spilled on the ground or in a lake is dissolved by bacteria in time. Their activity is most important in garbage dumps where tons of waste materials are discarded every day. If it were not for the bacterial process of decay, the earth would become covered with dead material, and all living things would gradually die out. Even in the mining of copper, zinc, uranium and gold, it wouldn’t be possible to make metal out of the ore without these tiny assistants.
No matter how clever scientists are, they could never produce such microscopic forms of life that do such a vast number of helpful things and without which we could not exist. These invisible forms of life didn’t just happen to be in the world by chance. No, they were planned! Our beginning Bible verse explains that they are on the earth because the Lord God, the Master Designer and Creator of everything, has placed them here as helpers for every kind of life. They serve us in many ways, helping each one of us in our daily lives. God alone has made these invisible forms of life, and they will continue in their unseen activities while the world lasts.
When we think of bacteria and other wonders of God’s creation, may we proclaim with the psalmist, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture” (Psalm 95:67).
He will be pleased with your worship and thanksgiving after you have accepted His Son, the Lord Jesus, as your Saviour. He loves you and has said, “[He or she] that [comes] to Me I will in no [way] cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)).
ML-01/15/2006
JANUARY 15, 2006