One of the strangest-looking birds lives in tropical east Africa. It was called father of a slipper by ancient Arabs, perhaps because its huge eight-inch-long bill looked like the slippers they wore. The name was later changed to shoebill.
The shoebill is a relative of the stork. Its massive five-foot-tall body is covered with coarse, gray feathers. It has wings up to eight feet wide and long legs. Wading through swamps, it feeds on frogs, snakes, fish and even baby alligators. It often points its large head skyward, snapping its oversized bill open and closed rapidly, making a racket that sounds like a machine gun. In spite of its rather awe-inspiring appearance and sound, it is harmless to humans.
Shoebills are quiet, mostly solitary birds, not feeding or nesting close to other shoebills. Even the male and female of a pair seem to prefer to stay in opposite ends of their shared territory.
Shoebills lay 1-3 eggs on huge, floating nests, which they incubate for 30 days. Only one of the chicks is usually raised to maturity. The chick to hatch first is usually the one that survives, and it will even drive another chick from the nest. Both parents take care of their chick, feeding it whole food that comes straight from their belly into the chick’s mouth.
Though the shoebill seems like one of the world’s strangest creatures, we know it is part of God’s creation. Unusual and strange to us, we can be sure that God had a purpose for it, and it gave Him pleasure to create it.
Speaking of shoes, it is interesting to think about them in another way. For instance, some shoes have a tongue, and so do we. Many Bible verses speak of using our tongues in the right way. Here is one: “Keep [your] tongue from evil, and [your] lips from speaking guile [bad things]” (Psalm 34:1313Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. (Psalm 34:13)).
In many ways the sole is the most important part of a shoe, and the soul is the most important part of every person. It is only by faith that our souls will enter an eternity in heaven. How wise is the Bible verse that tells us, “Set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God” (1 Chronicles 22:1919Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord. (1 Chronicles 22:19)). Does your heart and soul seek for Him?
Messages of God’s Love 12/25/2022