All kinds of natural litter fall on the ground in the forests day and night. If it weren't for busy crews of "janitors," which the Creator has provided, long ago this litter would have piled up so deeply that life on the earth could not be possible. Trees, plants and other vegetation would not be able to withstand the pileup of tons of waste material smothering their roots. Animals, birds, fish and even humans dependent on plants and trees for food would starve—their dead bodies adding just that much more to such an awful situation.
What is this crew of "janitors" and what part do they play in the Creator's plan? One of them, quite visible to us, is the common angleworm. Untold millions of them are constantly at work, eating their way through the soil and returning to the surface again and again to gather leaves, grass and other litter to take to their burrows for disposal.
But angleworms are just part of the visible crew. Lizards, mice, squirrels and other small animals do their part, as well as beetles and innumerable other insects, some visible, some invisible, all taking part in the endless chore of breaking down the litter of fallen leaves, dead trees and rotten material. As they eat this it passes through their digestive systems, becoming rich fertilizer which feeds the roots of existing vegetation as well as seeds just starting out. Mushrooms and toadstools also take part in the process.
If we could place on a scale all the beautiful fall leaves that drop on one acre, they would weigh over a ton, and in the tropical rain forests the leaves which fall to the ground would weigh three times that much. What becomes of all these when the time comes for new leaves to appear on the tree's branches? Through the effects of sunshine, rain and snow, combined with the work of the "janitors," it takes about two years for these to be changed into rich, soft soil. In evergreen forests of pine, fir, cedar, etc., it takes nearly twice as long, but these are eventually changed into new soil the same way.
When the Creator placed trees and vegetation on the earth on the third day of His new creation, He knew exactly what this lovely growth would need, and in His wisdom all this "janitorial" force was created to take care of it. This brings to mind the Bible verse, "Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made... the earth, and all things that are therein... and Thou preservest them all." Neh. 9:66Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. (Nehemiah 9:6).
Because of all these silent helpers nothing is ever wasted in the wonderland of God's creation, the earth. How wonderful it is that we can know Him not only as our Creator, but also as our loving Savior. Do you know Him as your Savior?