“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth . . . all things were created by Him, and for Him.”
Colossians 1:1616For 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: (Colossians 1:16)
If you were on a Caribbean island beach some dark night in early spring or late summer, you might become aware of a number of large creatures coming out of the surf. They drag themselves with much effort over the sand, higher and higher, until they are above the highest tidewater point. With the help of a flashlight, you would find that these were female loggerhead turtles. Each of these brownish-green turtles weighs close to 500 pounds. (They are not as large as the leatherback turtles which weigh up to a ton.)
You would find her busily scooping sand with her flippers, making a hole about seven inches wide and almost two feet deep. After an hour of this tiresome work, she will rest awhile, then place herself over this nest and begin depositing her eggs. The eggs will be deposited one at a time every few seconds. Usually between 100 to 200 are deposited and look like ping-pong balls.
Next she scoops the sand back into the hole and pats it down firmly. Then she scatters the excess sand over the area, making it look so natural that no one would suspect there was a nest of turtle eggs underneath. If you could get closer to her, you might think she is crying since there are tears running from her eyes. The fact is that this is a provision God gave these turtles for washing the sand out of their eyes. When the job is complete she returns to the sea, soon disappearing in the waves.
In about two months the eggs are ready to hatch. Before hatching, each baby turtle develops an “egg tooth” on the end of its nose. This is used to break out of the shell. It might seem they would die in their nest deep in the sand, but they work their way to the top, which might take several days. As the baby turtles come to the surface, they run as fast as they can toward the ocean. Since they are only about the size of a silver dollar, they must run fast because there are many creatures waiting to eat them. Birds, crabs, rats and other enemies chase after them, so that very few of these baby turtles make it across the sand alive. In the water there are sharks, fish of all kinds and more birds. Perhaps only six out of the whole nest manage to survive. In five to eight years survivors reach full size. Then they are safe from natural enemies and live to an old age.
Our lives are not as full of danger as these creatures’ lives are. God has graciously provided many benefits for each of us and cares for us most lovingly. He knows all our needs and activities too. It is written in the Bible, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee” (Ecclesiastes 11:99Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9)). This is followed by the instruction, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not” (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)). What excellent God-given advice this is for us to follow.
JULY 23, 1995
ML-07/23/1995