In Australia kangaroos are a familiar sight. Sometimes they are a pest, because they eat grass needed by the many flocks of sheep and they also trespass into people’s gardens. Even traffic signs warn drivers about them.
These animals have small heads and rather large ears, but what is most noticeable is their legs. Their front legs (used more like hands) are about half the size of their hind legs, which on some species are three feet long. They also have a very large tail which gives them support when grazing or leaping. Both their tail and the strong claws on their hind feet can be used as powerful weapons when needed.
The Great Gray and the Great Red kangaroos are the largest of all. Before man came to Australia great numbers of them covered the plains, but shepherds have killed many of them. These big fellows, about seven feet high, weight 200 pounds or more and travel in 15-foot leaps. They have no trouble clearing tall bushes and even nine-foot-high fences.
Small kangaroos are called Joeys. They are born naked and helpless and are not much bigger than a lima bean. It is amazing that they survive. But God, in creating them, provided protection for these little ones. The mother has a pouch close to the ground where the baby is sheltered from anything that might harm it. Within three minutes after it is born, the Joey has crawled into this pouch. It could not live any longer than that if it were not for this safe hideout. How remarkable that God gave it this instinct to search for a hiding place so promptly. He also wisely limits the mother to only one baby at a time. Otherwise there would be problems with several trying to reach the safety of her pouch at the same time.
When little Joey is hidden away he quickly finds his mother’s milk. As soon as he reaches this spot the mother pumps milk into his tiny mouth, because he is not strong enough yet to suck. This continues for about four months; meanwhile the mother goes about her activities as usual. Soon fuzzy fur begins to appear on Joey. Still he remains in his safe hideout until, weighing about ten pounds, he ventures outside. But he is more than a year old before he changes from milk to a grass diet. Then he is no longer a Joey but is known as a Boomer, or sometimes he is just called a “Roo.”
Do you think God knows about these strange animals? Yes, and He cares for them as well. The Bible speaks of this care in Psalms 145:1616Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. (Psalm 145:16): “Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” We are again told in Acts 17:2828For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17:28) that “In Him we (all) live, and move, and have our being.”
Animals are not able to thank God, but we are. We should not only thank Him for His care over us, but we should also acknowledge His love and accept His gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only through His work on the cross that we can be saved from the punishment of our sins and have everlasting life. Have you accepted Him as your Saviour and thanked him for dying for you?
ML-09/12/1982