“To every beast of the earth ... I have given every green herb for meat [food]: and it was so. And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.”
Yaks are very large animals. Some stand six feet high at the shoulders and weigh up to twelve hundred pounds. They are covered with long, black hair that sometimes hangs almost to the ground. Their sharp, curved horns are two to three feet across. These animals live in high, cold altitudes, like the slopes of Mount Everest. Large numbers also live in Tibet at altitudes of fourteen thousand to twenty thousand feet where few other animals could survive. Various species are also in the East Indies, central Asia and China.
Female yaks and their calves form herds of a hundred or more, often feeding in deep snow, brushing it aside with their heads and hoofs to get at the grass underneath. When water is scarce, they eat snow. Most of the year the males live alone or in small groups. When wolves appear, adult yaks will quickly form a circle with their lowered heads and threatening horns turned outward. This is a defense taught by a wise Creator who cares for all His creatures.
During winter, a soft, dense undergrowth of hair grows beneath the coarse outer hair. As the weather warms, this is shed with clumps hanging from their bodies before dropping off.
Some yaks have been tamed as beasts of burden. These are the smaller species, but they are still strong and able to carry heavy loads twenty miles a day over mountain passes. They are agile creatures and can skillfully cross steep rockslides and do not hesitate to travel through deep snow or swim icy rivers.
They also provide rich milk and meat which tastes like beef. Their soft hair is used to make cloth, and their coarser hair is used in mats and tent coverings. Their hides are used to make saddles and boots.
The yak is another example of the wonders of God’s creation and reminds us, “The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof” (Psalm 50:11<<A Psalm of Asaph.>> The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. (Psalm 50:1)). He has adapted the yak perfectly to its cold environment.
But the thoughts of God toward each of us are deeper and more loving than toward any other creature! The Bible says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you” (Jeremiah 29:11-1211For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (Jeremiah 29:11‑12)).
Have you accepted His kind thoughts? Have you ever prayed to Him and admitted that you are a sinner and accepted Him as your Saviour? If not, He waits for you to accept His love.
ML-01/22/2012