The pangolin lives in Africa, Asia and Indonesia. It looks something like a cross between an armadillo and an anteater and is covered with a coat of armor formed by overlapping tough scales, including his tail. Although his tail is a helpful prop when ripping open termite nests and also a weapon against attackers, the pangolin’s main defense is to roll into a tight ball with only its tough scales exposed. This makes it almost impossible for enemies to harm him.
These creatures usually sleep all day in deep burrows and look for food only at night. God has equipped them well to hunt at night. He has given them sharp, beady eyes to penetrate the darkness and a keen sense of smell to lead them to their food, which is almost entirely ants and termites. They have large, strong claws on their front feet to rip into ant hills and termite nests. When the ants’ and termites’ nests are disturbed, they race about furiously. The pangolin pushes his head into the opening of the nest, flicks out his long, sticky tongue and laps them up, hundreds at a time. A pangolin is toothless.
Termites and ants bite viciously, but that doesn’t bother the pangolin. The Creator has provided him with transparent eyelids too tough for these insects to bite and nostrils and ears that he can close to keep the insects out. When those furious ants crawl over his body looking for a tender spot to bite, he just flicks them off with a shake of his body.
We might wonder why God made this unusual creature. Adapting all His creatures to their place in nature is often called “the balance of nature,” but it is really “God’s order.” He has created each for its special place on earth. Even ants and termites are included, and He has arranged for them to recover rapidly from raids and to rebuild their large colonies quickly. At the same time, the work of the pangolin keeps such insects from multiplying too fast and doing much damage to forests, buildings and crops. The Bible tells us about a coming time when all life will be in harmony, and no killing of each other will take place. Meanwhile, we see His wisdom in placing all things in proper balance.
But He has greater plans for you and me. The Lord Jesus said to those who love and trust Him, “I go to prepare a place for you.... I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-32In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2‑3)). That promise applies to you only if you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour.
ML-04/12/2015