GOD’S WORD FOR FEBRUARY 5 ~ ~ Job 42:3~ ~ “Who [is] he that hides counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered what I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.”
The number of different kinds of insects in the world seems almost endless. There are millions. The larva of many of these insects feed on trees and bushes at least until they develop into adults. One would think, then, that we wouldn’t have any trees left, since they are so unfairly outnumbered by such hordes.
But we also know from experience that the creation has been designed with careful and intricate balances. In this case, the many different kinds of trees each produce poisons in order to protect themselves from insects. But there is still balance, since insects, too, need to make a living. Not every insecticide produced by a tree is poisonous to every insect. So a tree’s insecticides simply limit the number of insects that can feed on it.
Some trees have pockets of gluey fluids that, when opened by insect mandibles, glue the insect’s mouth closed – a very effective way of keeping something from eating you! But most of the insecticides manufactured by trees involve subtle and complex chemistry. One poison fools the insect’s system into thinking that it is an essential amino acid – with fatal results.
Plant-produced insecticides have been harvested for garden and home use. Pryethrin is a combination of 6 flower-produced chemicals. Neem oil and powder is another well-used insecticide. Capsaicin is what gives peppers their spicy taste, and is a good insecticide also. But one of the best insect-deterrents is nicotine, from tobacco plants.
Many of these don’t actually directly kill the insects, but paralyze them, causing death indirectly. This works especially in the case of intestinal parasites, because they must then let loose of the intestinal wall.
We don’t know the tiniest percentage of the provisions in God’s creation. He has it perfectly balanced so one species won’t completely overwhelm another. It’s the balance that only He can control.
Another thing we don’t have an idea about is all the things in our lives that He has in perfect balance, and perfect timing. First, everything is perfectly timed and arranged within our bodies, as within every living thing He created.
But, also in our outward lives, He has everything perfectly notched together. The most frustrating things in a normal day can be saving our lives—or someone else’s. It would put us in a different place at a different time than we planned.
Have you ever driven past a tragic highway accident, and thought, “if we hadn’t had that flat tire a couple miles back, this could have been us.” And, you just may be right.
He is always watching where He can help us. He has a will for each of our lives, and His will WILL come about, even if we mess up. If we mess up, we will be paying the consequences for the detour our lives will take because of it, but nothing can thwart His will.
Have you thanked Him for this? Have you asked Him if you should do something before you make the decision?
In fact, have you REALLY given your life to Him? Is He REALLY your LORD? He must be all, and the ruler of our lives, or we will not have Him for eternity. He gave it all for us. Can we do less?
2 Chronicles 16:9 ~ ~ “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”
Hebrews 13:5 ~ ~ “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”