The Wonders of God’s Creation
Those who live in the islands of the Caribbean Sea and have explored underwater in the ocean’s bays or along the reefs, have seen beautiful and interesting sights. Among all the colorful sights, they may have observed a little, bright blue fish, known as the Goby, which lives a very unusual life.
The Goby likes to make its home on a piece of brain coral, where it sets up an active business, driving away any others that would compete with it. Most little fish try their hardest to remain hidden, fearing that larger ones will eat them. But the Goby’s place of business on the piece of coral is entirely exposed, and it has no fear of larger fish. Actually, it wants to be seen by them and seems to invite them to come up to it.
The parrot fish, with sharp, beaklike jaws, is one of its regular customers. When one of them swims by and sees the Goby, it will usually go over to it slowly, stop and then stand upright in the water, spreading out its fins as if to say, “I’m ready for business if you are.” The Goby swims over, going right to work cleaning off and eating all of the small worms that have attached themselves to the body of the parrot fish. Then the parrot fish opens its mouth wide and the Goby swims inside to clean the inside of its mouth and teeth. When the cleaning is fished the parrot fish swims happily away. The Goby is happy, too, hang had a good meal for its work.
Other species of fish, such as the Surgeon fish and the vicious Bar Jack, are also cleaned by the Goby. Both of these could easily gobble up the little Goby in one bite.
How is it that a little fish could overcome natural fear and place itself at the mercy of larger fish who could so easily kill it? What makes the otherwise vicious killers come peacefully to this little fish, even inviting it to swim into their jaws? Do you think that over the years they practiced this until it became a pattern? No, of course not. It would never work because natural instincts would never allow them to come together in this way. Here we have another wonder of God’s creation, displaying that “with God all things are possible.” It also shows His wisdom in providing a working relationship between those who would normally be enemies, that they might help each other through this arrangement.
Let us remember that the Lord is the Creator of all things and is also the Provider for them. His eye is always on even the smallest and strangest of His creatures, and all form a part of His wise purposes. Most importantly, it is “the Lord God (who) formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” Genesis 2:77And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7). The little Goby and the big fish do not know this, but God’s Word tells us that He has loved us with an everlasting love and would draw us to Himself through Christ, the Saviour. Do not turn away from Him, but accept His love today.
ML-11/09/1980