The Crocodile
Many crocodiles live in the Nile River. Their young hatch from eggs, and the egg laying and hatching is quite interesting.
Before laying her eggs, the female finds ground that is exposed to the hot sun. After digging a hole about a foot deep, she lays her eggs in it. Then she covers them with dirt and presses it down firmly. Until the eggs hatch, the mother crocodile stays nearby, guarding them. She will attack anything that tries to dig them up.
Nearly three months after the eggs have been laid, her waiting time is over. She seems to know that the babies are starting to break out of their shells. But unless they get help, they will not be able to get out of the deep nest, because the sun-baked soil has become hard as rock. The mother crocodile comes to the rescue. With her strong claws she rips the nest open and frees the baby crocodiles. She picks them up very gently in her jaws, holding 20 or more at once, and carries them to the river or a pool where she releases them. After a few lessons in the water, they soon learn to care for themselves.
The Mallee Fowl
This large bird makes its home in Australia. Its method of hatching its young is quite similar to that of the Nile crocodile. Rather than making a nest as most birds do, the female digs a pit in the ground. She partially fills it with leaves, lays her eggs on them and finally covers it all with dirt. From then on she turns the care of the nest over to her mate.
The decaying leaves and the hot sun heating the soil provide just the right temperature for incubation. While waiting for the chicks to hatch, the male bird takes very good care of the eggs. From time to time he scrapes away the soil to check on them. If it doesn’t seem to be just right, he will sometimes clean everything out and make the nest all over again. Since his mate lays eggs several times a year in separate nests, the male spends much of his life baby-sitting eggs.
How did the crocodile learn that the heat of the sun will cause her eggs to hatch underground? How does she have patience to wait so long for this to happen? Who taught her how to carry the babies to water?
How did the Mallee fowl discover such a strange way to hatch her eggs, and who told the male how to take care of the nests?
Such instructions could only have come from the One who created them. And He didn’t leave them to discover these things over centuries of time, but instructed them the very day He created them.
Do you know the Scriptures have something to tell us in regard to instructions? The Lord says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32:88I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (Psalm 32:8)). The way of happiness is to follow His instructions and guidance.
JUNE 2, 1996
ML-06/02/1996