Strange Happenings in a Lake

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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“The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season.” Psalms 145:1515The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. (Psalm 145:15).
Roger and his wife chose a well-known fishing lake in the wilds of British Columbia for vacationing one year. After a week of very poor fishing they decided the reports they had heard were false. Not only were there no fish to be caught, they also observed that there weren’t any birds in the area. They decided to move on.
As they were getting their things together, a commotion at the far end of the lake caught their attention, so they got into their boat to investigate. At first what they saw appeared to be a cloud rising and dipping over the surface of the water. Coming closer they saw the “cloud” was actually a great flock of birds darting after flying insects which were coming out of the water and flying from the surface. Then they got a special thrill in discovering that part of the commotion was caused by great numbers of fish leaping out of the water after the insects.
Getting their rods out again they were able to catch many of these fish, which quickly took their “artificial flies.” After about an hour’s time all became quiet again: the birds flew off, the insects were no longer present, and the fish returned to deep water. Later they learned this is a common sight in many Canadian lakes where the bottoms have large populations of larvae, hatched from eggs dropped into the water by a female fly. After several months in the mud of the lake they are ready to “molt” and experience a change of life. Rising to the surface they shed their hard shells and come forth as a flying insect with pretty, lace-like wings.
When this change is made they must rest on the surface a few minutes for their wings to harden. Then they take to the air, find companions, and soon a new supply of eggs is dropped in the water—the whole cycle starting over again. It is while this is going on that the fish get excited, leaping out of the water to catch all they can. The birds also catch many of them as they fly from the surface of the lake. However, so many thousands hatch at one time they cannot all be caught and great numbers escape.
Since all this takes place in about an hour, it raises some questions: (1) How is it that thousands of the larvae come together to one spot and make this change at the same time? (2) How do the fish from all over the lake know it is going to take place? (3) Where did the birds come from and what compelled them to fly to this remote spot at just the right time; and where did they go when it was all over?
It is not hard to provide an answer. We know that the Creator is “Lord of all” and He has given necessary instincts to all involved to carry out their part at just the exact moment He has arranged.
We are reminded, too, that “He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world” (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)) and that “every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:1212So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12). Have you prepared yourself for that day by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart as the One who has taken your place, so you will be free from judgment? “Who His own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24).
ML-11/23/1980