Daily Devotional – May 13

Biology

What animal only comes out to feed at night, lives in caves, uses sonar to navigate, has eyes like a deep-sea fish, hovers in place, and has a phenomenal sense of smell? If you guessed a bat you are wrong. It is actually a unique bird that lives in South America commonly known as the “oilbird.” Oilbirds got their name from the native Indians who knocked them from their nests on the cave ledges with long poles so that they could melt down the fat in the bird to make oil for torches. While most other birds roost at night and are active during the day, the oilbird is the opposite. During the day, oilbirds roost on cave ledges, digesting the previous night’s fruits and nuts.

Oilbirds navigate in total darkness by emitting clicking calls in rapid succession and listening for their return echoes. Unlike bats, which emit ultrasonic clicks that we cannot hear, oilbirds’ clicks are audible. They leave the cave at night and use their echolocation system, their keen sense of smell, and incredible eyesight to find fruits and nuts. During these foraging trips, they do not perch, but hover in place to feed. The oilbird’s retinal rods are stacked in three tiers, an arrangement seen only in deep-sea fish that live in total darkness. The density of this bird’s rods is 1 million rods per square millimeter. This, in combination with its oversized pupils, gives the oilbird the greatest light-gathering capacity of any land animal!

What a bizarre bird: it uses sonar like a bat, has eyes like a deep-sea fish, hovers in place like a hummingbird, and tracks smells like a bloodhound. As with the duck-billed platypus, the oilbird has a hodgepodge of features from all over the animal kingdom with no clear evolutionary ancestry. This makes perfect sense if the entire animal kingdom has a common Designer--God--but defies any naturalistic evolutionary explanation.

The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

~ Psalm 111:2

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – May 10

Biology

Sponges are peculiar animals. They have no heart, lungs, stomach, or nerves. They are like a hollow sac with a large opening opposite its base. They are filter feeders. Most sponges eat tiny, floating particles and plankton, which they filter through their pores. Cleaner water is released out of the top of the sponge. Sponges act as super-filters cleaning the ocean of its bacteria, algae, filth, and debris. A full grown sponge can filter the equivalent of a bathtub full of water in only one hour!

Evolutionary biologists like to refer to the 4,000 species of sponges as “simple animals.” But is this really a simple animal? An experiment was done in which the sponge tissue was pressed through a fine mesh; this broke the sponge into individual cells. Amazingly, the sponge cells rejoined, forming a whole sponge! Don’t try this with the cells of your body – you won’t come back together like this “simple” creature!

You can even make a “mixed sponge smoothie”, blending together the cells of different species of sponges. Each cell, from each species, will find similar cells and reconnect! Simple? Hardly! Creative ingenuity by the Creator, yes!

Remember his marvelous works that he hath done;…

~ Psalm 105:5

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – May 7

Biology

Did you know that one species of ants herds aphids? These dairy ants protect aphids in order to “milk” them for food. A common type of dairy ant is the cornfield ant. Before winter arrives, these ants collect corn-root aphid eggs and store them in their tunnels. In the spring, these aphid eggs hatch, and the ants herd the young aphids to the roots of young wild plants while they wait for the fields’ corn seeds to germinate. Once the corn germinates, the ants herd the aphids to the corn roots, so the aphids can feed on them. If the weather is bad, the ants carry the aphids underground for protection. When an ant wants a drink, she will stroke the aphid with her antennae causing a sweet liquid called honeydew to be secreted from the aphid. The ant is “milking” the aphid. The aphids benefit by being protected by the ants, and the ants benefit by receiving honeydew from the aphids. Both ant and aphid benefit from this relationship; this is called symbiosis. How did this relationship come about? They needed each other to survive. God’s fingerprints are even over the tiniest creatures of His creation.

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised….

~ Psalm 48:1

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – May 5

Biology

The wombat is one of Australia’s many unique creatures that is found nowhere else on earth. This animal is a marsupial - meaning it has a pouch in which prematurely born young finish their development. Having a pouch is great if you are a kangaroo - but a wombat is a burrowing animal. If the pouch opened toward the mom’s head, the pouch would quickly fill with dirt. So the wombat’s pouch faces backwards; it opens towards the mother’s hind legs. Now, where did this unique animal come from? There are only two possibilities – creation or evolution. Either the wombat was created, fully formed and fully functional, or it evolved. Our schools teach, as a fact that something that wasn’t a wombat turned into the wombat. But how could this happen?

Evolutionists believe that the pouches of marsupials all started like the kangaroos, and through millions of years the wombat’s pouch “evolved” to face backward. Let’s try to imagine this process. First, you have a forward facing pouch in a creature that decides to burrow into the earth. Its pouch kept filling with dirt. Its babies kept dying. Then, one is born with a sideways facing pouch. Now, the baby can’t reach the milk glands. Its babies kept dying. Then finally, the pouch faces backwards! But millions of years would have passed, so how could this poor creature survive the slow process of evolving; many baby wombats would have died in the process. It is clear, God created the wombat’s pouch to be “backwards” from the very beginning.

Sing to the Lord, for He hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth.

~ Isaiah 12: 5

Daily Devotional – May 2

Biology

What is faster than a speeding bullet, can break aquarium glass with a single punch, and draw blood from a human finger? A five-inch peacock mantis shrimp.

In the wild, peacock mantis shrimp eat foods such as clams, snails, and crabs - all of which have tough shells. With one swift knock-out punch, reaching the speed of a 22-caliber bullet, the shrimp shatters these shells and has a tasty lunch. How did the peacock mantis shrimp’s “club” become so powerful that it can even shatter aquarium glass? It’s all in the design.

The “club” has three layers. The outer layer is rich with minerals; the middle layer is composed of chitin with minerals dispersed within it; the inner layer has chitin fibers oriented in the opposite direction. The “club” is lightweight, stiff, tough, shock-resistant, and impact-tolerant. Today, researchers are studying the peacock mantis shrimp’s “club” in an effort to develop better body armor for soldiers. These scientists recognize a good “knock-out punch” when they see it! Let’s hope they also recognize the designer, Jesus Christ.

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,...

~ Habakkuk 2:14

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – April 23

Biology

All warm-blooded animals generate heat when running. When we run fast, we get rid of heat by sweating over our entire body. But a dog does not sweat the way humans do. Instead, a dog “pants.” Panting is a process where a dog hangs his tongue out of his open mouth and breaths over his wet tongue. This causes the wet saliva to evaporate – removing heat from the tongue in the process. This cools the tongue’s blood vessels, which carry the cooled blood throughout the body.

A dog’s primary method for regulating its body temperature is by evaporation through panting and sweat glands on its paws. This is a marvelous design. Imagine a dog sweating all over its body on a cold winter day; its coat would be covered with icicles. God had to solve many engineering problems when he created the wide variety of creatures to survive the diverse environments throughout the earth.

[The Lord] will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:….

~ Micah 4:2

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – April 22

Biology

It has been widely repeated, “Dogs are man’s best friend.” This has proven to be true for thousands of years as dogs have benefited mankind with hunting, herding, transportation, protection, and companionship. There are over 300 dog breeds in the world - from Chihuahuas to Great Danes. Most have been bred over the last century! Why is there so much variety within the dog kind?

Part of the key is that most dogs have 78 chromosomes – there are only 48 chromosomes in chimpanzees. Having so many more chromosomes allows dogs to produce many variations within a short amount of time. No new information has been added; existing information has just rearranged in countless ways to produce the breeds we see today. Dog variation can be compared to a kaleidoscope – each turn produces a new pattern, yet the same number of beads remains within the kaleidoscope. Evolution requires new information to be added, but that has never been observed - just variation within the dog kind. And that is exactly what God’s Word says.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, … and it was so.

~ Genesis 1:24

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – April 17

Biology

Did you know that there is a direct connection between bats and the Ebola virus? News reports of the Ebola virus never seem to address the source of the virus. People in the tropical regions where fruit bats live often sell these bats at market for consumption. These bats have been found to serve as natural reservoirs of the Ebola virus. In the Western culture, the eating of bats has never been considered appropriate, but why? Perhaps because both the USA and Western European cultures were established on Judeo-Christian principles.

Bats are listed among food to be avoided and considered as detestable as rats in our culture. Thus, we are spared from many diseases rampant elsewhere. When reading the Scriptures, we find many of our practices (like washing our hands under running water and not touching a dead body), originated from the Bible long before germs were understood. Our forefathers believed God and incorporated many practices from the Bible into their everyday lives, and these practices have been passed down to us. Did our forefathers know the consequences of eating bats? No. But our heavenly Father knew and wanted to protect us.

And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, …and the bat.

~ Leviticus 11:13-19

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – April 15

Biology

Ancient sailors spin yarns of mermaids, sea monsters, giant octopuses, sunken cities, and flying squid. The mermaid stories are based on fanciful storytelling; however, the stories of flying squid, sunken cities, and giant octopuses have turned out to be absolutely true!

As a matter of fact, squid have now been documented to soar as high as 20 feet above the ocean surface on flights of over 180 feet. So how do animals with no wings and bodies designed to swim manage to soar above the water’s surface? And more to the point, why would a squid bother to fly?

Each flight has three distinct phases:

1. A sudden contraction of the squid’s body shoots water out of its funnel shaped rear end in a jet stream and propels them it the air.
2. During flight, the squid spreads out his front fins like wings and arranges his rear tentacles in a fanlike pattern (not unlike the tail fins of a plane). This aerodynamic position allows him to glide long distances after the jet propulsion stops.
3. He folds his fins and tentacles back against his body to end his glide with a controlled dive in order to minimize the impact and maximize the forward movement as he reenters the water.

Researchers have discovered that a squid’s jet propulsion moves it three times farther in air than the same exertion in the water. Thus by “flying,” a squid can travel much longer distances using far less energy. Evolutionists believe that squids evolved this ability to “fly” over millions of years, yet in the fossil record we see squids are squids (even though evolutionists have taught us the fossil ancestors are over 200 million years old).

The creativity and design of the squid’s jet propulsion testifies to the creativity and intelligence of its designer, not evolutionary development.

For God is king of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

~ Psalm 47:7

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.

Daily Devotional – April 13

Biology

What is the secret to an owl’s ability to rotate its head 270 degrees? Why are there not thousands of dead owls on the forest floor after having experienced a stroke from rapidly twisting their heads? Sudden head movements in humans--like whiplash--can cause the fragile blood vessel lining to stretch and tear, producing clots that break off, causing a deadly stroke.

Biologists have discovered many features allowing owls to turn their heads almost completely around. First of all, owls have 14 vertebrae in their necks whereas humans only have seven. In addition:

1. The blood vessels at the base of the neck get larger as they get closer to the brain. This acts as a reservoir that continues feeding the brain when the twisting neck slows the blood supply.
2. The owl’s neck bones have holes 10 times the diameter of the artery traveling through it. This extra space allows for greater flexibility and movement of the artery. In humans, the holes are the size of the artery.
3. The vertebral artery enters the neck higher up than in other birds, creating slack, so the artery is not twisted shut as the neck turns.
4. Owls have small vessels connecting both the carotid and neck bone arteries; humans do not. During neck rotation, if one of the vessels becomes blocked, the others can still let the blood flow uninterrupted.

All these unique features had to be there from the beginning; otherwise, the forest floor would be littered with dead owls. God uniquely created owls from the very beginning.

Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders:

~ Psalm 77:13b-14a

Source: "Pearls in Paradise" by authors Bruce Malone and Jule Von Vett

References for this devotional.