MAY 7, Genesis 1:31

“I sure don’t like spiders, do you?” Shana asked her friend, Kwee Ling. A spider had stretched its web across a section of fence in their school garden, and the girls had gone to look at it. “Ugh! No! I hate those things!” Kwee Ling shuddered. “They’re creepy.”

“The web sure is pretty, though,” observed Shana as they studied it. All the silvery strands of the beautifully constructed web were connected to make a lacy pattern. Dew drops on the web sparkled in the morning sun.

“How do spiders know how to make such a pretty web?” Kwee Ling wondered aloud. Shana shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said.

Just then an insect buzzed around their heads. When Shana swatted at it, the bug flew into the web. Quick as a wink, the spider dashed out from a corner of the web and spun strands of webbing around the insect until it was held tightly.

“Wow! Did you see how fast that spider moved?” marveled Kwee Ling. “Yeah. It sure didn’t take long to make a prisoner of that bug,” replied Shana. “That’s a good thing—that bug might have stung us.”

“Bugs can hurt us in other ways, too,” said Kwee Ling. “Some eat garden plants, and some carry diseases. Every bug that’s caught by a spider is probably one that could hurt us.” “Before we see any more icky bugs, let’s get outta here!” Shana exclaimed. She shivered at the thought of coming face to face with the spider’s next meal.

“Okay,” agreed Kwee Ling, and the girls headed back for class. “Like my mom always says,” said Shana as they walked along, “God created everything for a purpose.”

Kwee Ling nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard that, too,” she said. “I guess spiders are good for something after all! God knew we’d need them.” She grinned. “Does that mean we should be thankful for them?” Shana laughed. “Now that’s going to take some practice,” she said, “but I’ll try!”

Thought: How about you? Have you ever thanked God for creatures and nature? God made them for us!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I may be scared of some creepy-crawlies but I know You are the Creator of all creatures and they form part of the great nature You have designed so beautifully for us. Thank you too for creating me! This I give thanks in the precious name of my Saviour, amen.