God Made Them All

Bible Reading: Genesis 1:21-25, 31

“Katy, look what I found in the woods!” Levi approached his sister carrying a cage. Something was moving inside.

Katy shrieked. “Get that out of here!”

Levi laughed. “It’s only a garden snake,” he said. “It can’t hurt you.”

“Daddy!” Katy dashed behind her father, her eyes filled with fear. “Kill it, Daddy!”

“Don’t be afraid.” Dad put an arm around Katy. “All animals are God’s creatures, so we need to treat them with respect. And what Levi says is true; garden snakes aren’t poisonous. We don’t kill something for no good reason.”

“Why do people hate snakes?” asked Levi.

“I guess because they can look scary, or they remind us of bad things,” replied Dad. “It started long ago when Satan, in the form of a snake, tempted Eve to sin in the garden of Eden. These days we sometimes hear about snakes killing other animals, like chickens. And some snakes are poisonous. Their bites can cause illness or even death.”

“Yeah, if they’d quit biting people, maybe we’d like them better,” said Katy. “Like Daddy said, people can die from snake bites!”

Dad nodded. “God gives most animals a built-in mechanism for protection from enemies. Porcupines have quills, skunks spray, and snakes have venom.”

“But most snakes aren’t poisonous, are they?” asked Levi.

“No,” Dad said. “Actually, they can be very helpful to people. Snakes eat mice and rats that carry germs. Hundreds of years ago, the Bubonic Plague—caused by infected fleas that lived on rats—killed a fourth of Europe’s population. If there had been more snakes, the epidemic might not have been nearly as bad. And today, scientists are learning how to use snake venom to make medicine!”

“See, Katy,” said Levi, “there are lots of good things about snakes.”

Levi and his sister studied their slithering captive in the cage. “I wonder how long it is,” said Levi. “Get me a tape measure, will you, Katy?”

Katy hesitated. “Okay,” she finally said, and turned toward the house. “But I won’t hold its tail!” – Janet E. Rhine

How About You?

Is there some sort of animal or insect you’re afraid of? Remember that God created everything—plants, animals, and people! God made them all for a purpose, and He made everything good. If there’s a creature you’re afraid of, see if you can learn something good about it. Be sure to treat all of God’s creation with respect.

Today’s Key Verse:
Genesis 1:31 (NIV) God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.

Today’s Key Thought:

Every creature serves a purpose