"They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep." Psa. 107:23-24
Those who live in the islands of the Caribbean Sea and have explored underwater in the bays or along the reefs have seen beautiful and fascinating sights. Among all the colorful sights, they may have observed a small, bright-blue fish known as the goby. This little fish lives a rather unusual life.
Most little fish try to remain hidden, fearing that larger fish will eat them. But the goby remains entirely exposed on a piece of coral where it lives and has a little business going. It has no fear of larger fish; in fact, it seems to try to attract them.
The parrot fish, which has beak-like jaws, is one of the goby's regular customers. When a parrot fish sees the goby, it will slowly swim over to it, and then turning upright in the water it spreads out its fins. The goby begins cleaning off and eating all of the small parasites that are attached to the body of the parrot fish. Then the parrot fish will open its mouth wide, and the goby swims inside to clean the teeth and the inside of the parrot fish's mouth. When the cleaning is finished, the goby swims out, the parrot fish swims away, and the goby has 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 swallow the little goby whole.
How is it that a little fish could overcome natural fear of larger fish that could so easily eat it? What makes the otherwise vicious killers come peacefully to this little fish, even letting it swim into their jaws without harming it? 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 creatures who would normally be enemies, that they might help each other through this arrangement.
Let us remember that the Lord God 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. Of most importance, it is "the Lord God [who] formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Gen. 2:7). The little goby and the big fish do not have this, but God's Word tells us that He has loved you and me with an everlasting love and would draw us to Himself through Christ the Savior. Do not turn away from Him, but accept His love today.