In those marvelous days of creation, God made everything from great whales to the smallest creeping insects. Everything was perfect until sin came into the world through Adam's disobedience. Since then all creation has suffered, including the insects living today, and God had to tell His people that "every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination" (Lev. 11:4141And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. (Leviticus 11:41)).
That did not mean that God would not still care for these insects, for He does every moment, but they would be types of Satan's hidden and evil ways.
Throughout the world there are billions of insects, such as termites, ants, mosquitoes and flies that for various reasons we naturally don't like. There are also some that God has made helpful to mankind, such as honeybees, ladybugs and others. These He has made an exception, and they are not called "an abomination."
However, the three in our title do much harm and are very clever at hiding themselves. They are true examples of Satan and his sinful ways. The bristletail is one of these, another is the silverfish, and the third is called the firebrat, because it hides in warm places behind a stove or fireplace. They are almost as similar in appearance as identical triplets and are hard to tell apart. They have no wings, but their scaly, one-half inch-long bodies have six legs and two bristle-like extensions in front. All of them have most peculiar appetites.
For instance, the bristletail eats the paste used to stick wallpaper to a wall. Finding a loose spot, it crawls inside and, if not discovered soon enough, over a period of time gobbles up so much paste that the wallpaper falls to the floor or just hangs loosely.
The silverfish (not related to a fish in any way) likes to eat the glue used in binding books. Oh, how they love chewing up the glue until the book falls apart!
But none of them is choosy and each kind seems to find its way to shelves, drawers or closets where starched clothes are soon damaged, because starch is also a special treat to them.
All three of these pests are reminders that the evil things which Satan tempts us with are seldom out in the open, and cause much harm when we do not guard against them. Our best protection from his evil ways is expressed in the Bible verse: "Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust" (Psa. 16:11<<Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. (Psalm 16:1)). When you make this a truly honest prayer, God will always help you.