The Lord God is not only the Creator of the beautiful and spectacular things in nature that we often see, but the above verse includes many things we don’t usually see. One of the world’s largest insects, called the giant water bug, is one of these.
These insects are found around the world, but mostly in Central and South America and the southern parts of North America. A few species are found throughout North America. They range from 1/3 inch to close to 5 inches. Some can fly, but since their wide, flat bodies float, many stay close to the ponds or lakeshores where they live. They have a special breathing tube, like a snorkel, to help them breathe underwater.
Their front legs are like a pair of pincers to help them catch prey, including fish as big as they are. They inject poisonous saliva into their prey through a proboscis like a mosquito’s, then wait a bit before sucking out the liquified insides. Flat hind legs provide paddling power for swimming on or below the surface of the water. Their bite is very painful to humans, so anyone trying to catch one should be careful.
The male allows his mate to glue her eggs onto his wings. He carries these around, safe from predators, until they hatch. Other species glue their eggs onto vegetation where the male guards and cares for them.
Water bugs are useful in controlling the quantity of other organisms in the water, such as snails and minnows, and destroying mosquito larvae.
Another insect that lives in a watery home is the damselfly, which looks like a small dragonfly. The female lays her eggs underwater or on plants near water. The presence of damselflies shows that the water nearby is fairly unpolluted, or they wouldn’t be able to live there.
The damselfly’s eggs hatch into nymphs that remain underwater for some time, helpfully eating larvae of mosquitoes and water fleas, among other things, while they grow and go through many molts. Up to three years later, they emerge for their final molt, shedding their last underwater shell to become the lovely flying creatures we see above water.
Damselflies make me think of what every Christian should show to this world ... where the pure water of life can be found. When the Lord looks at your life, does He see you enjoying the pure water He offers in His Word, the Bible? Or are you drinking of the polluted “waters” of this world ... books and other entertainments that aren’t true, lovely, noble, and all the things that are good?
Did You Know?
The presence of damselflies shows that the water nearby is fairly unpolluted.
Messages of God’s Love 4/6/2025