Bugs and Things

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” – Psalm 91:14-16 There are an estimated 18,000 species of butterflies on this planet. Most adult butterflies fly for only about 2 – 4 weeks before they die. Some take flight for only 2 days! However, the Great Spangled …

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. – Genesis 1:24-25 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:31 One of the …

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 NIV So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. Galatians 5:1 NLT Have you ever seen a group of butterflies gathered around a puddle of mud? I’ve found that if I move very slowly, I can get to within only a few feet of them before they flutter …

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’  Jeremiah 33:3 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 For many years I have battled with various pests on our tomatoes. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not much of one to put out poisons in our yard or garden. I’d rather eat something relatively organic that’s not quite as perfect as a fruit or veggie that has been doused …

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.  2 Chronicles 16:9 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the mountains–where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip–he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you–the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun …

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. Joel 2:25 Folks in the U.S. have called cicadas “locusts” for a long time. The two really aren’t the same thing. Pictured above is a cicada which emerged from the ground. The adult, female form of this critter lays eggs usually in grooves in tree branches. The egg looks like a piece of rice. When the cicada hatches out of the egg, it nourishes on sap from the …

for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. Psalm 50:10-11 (NIV) As I know I’ve mentioned in previous posts, getting to touch a wild thing is always captivating for me. I’m pretty sure I’ve tried to photograph a dragonfly darting about in the air before, but they were always far too quick for me to get a bead on one. On this good day along the river, the above pictured critter actually flew to me. Dragonflies can fly …

Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? Job 11:7 (NIV) It’s always a special time when I get to touch one of God’s wild creatures (see Deer Touch ). Pictured above is a Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. They are so named because their hindwings resemble the long tails of the swallow bird. I’m sure the butterfly would be impressed if he knew how long a name we gave him. They are fairly common in the western U.S., and I often see them along the riverbanks where I fish for trout. The adult …