There are about 4,500 different kinds of saltwater, freshwater and land crabs, and it would take many books to write about all of them. All have flat bodies covered by a hard shell, eyes at the ends of stalks, and five pairs of legs covered with jointed shells. The two front legs are usually equipped with toothed pincers. Crabs that swim have flattened hind legs that work like paddles. Let’s look at a few.
Hermit crabs use empty shells of all kinds for their homes. They sometimes carry poisonous sea anemones on their backs as protection from enemies. The anemone shares the crab’s food by reaching its tentacles into the crab’s mouth when it is feeding. Its poison normally would kill the crab, but when they live together it does not harm the crab. Isn’t that amazing? Only God could make this possible!
In somewhat the same way the cowboy crab of Hawaii carries an anemone in each of its two front claws to frighten its enemies. It often joins the anemones in eating the food killed by their poison.
One called the sponge crab cuts out a piece of sponge just the right size and places it over its back as a disguise. It uses a special pair of legs God gave it for this clever trick.
Mole crabs bury themselves in the sand, leaving only their mouth parts and eye stalks exposed. Large numbers of them live together, getting food this way from outgoing waves.
Ghost crabs, the color of sand to blend with the seashore, live in burrows on the beach. They leave their burrows at night to explore for food and scurry back at dawn. Hiding in their burrows for the day, they close the opening behind them so cleverly that no one would guess it was there. During summer they store food for use when going underground in the fall. They do not appear again until spring and come out dressed in new suits.
Land crabs in the Samoan Islands live among rocks in the hills. Every October and November, exactly four days before the last quarter of the new moon, they travel down to the ocean in great numbers. Instead of going around rocks, tree stumps and even houses, they maintain a straight march, crawling right over them.
These are just a few of these interesting creatures. Do you think the Lord, their Creator, cares about them? We know He does, for the Bible tells us “all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [are provided for]” (Colossians 1:16-1716For 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: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16‑17)).
We also have been created by Him, and His care and love are over us at all times. He invites us to learn about Himself through His Holy Word, the Bible, and accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Saviour. Have you obeyed the Bible verse that says, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:11Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; (Ecclesiastes 12:1))?
DECEMBER 3, 1995
“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:89
ML-12/03/1995