Insects.

How many different kinds of insects do you suppose there are in your backyard? Well, I guess that depends on the size of your backyard. They seem to be getting pretty small these days. Some years ago, a famous entomologist (a person who studies insects) by the name of Frank Lutz wondered how many kinds of insects lived in his suburban back yard that measured 25mtrs by 70 mtrs. He found 1,402 species! He wrote a book about it called ‘A Lot of Insects.’ Of course, there were many of each of the 1402 species. Outside suburbia and in the country the numbers of different kinds increase, and the quantity becomes greater. Apparently, there are 900,000 species that we know of in the world and 200,000 species in Australia. Does that bug you? Ants are the most common. There are more ants in the world than people. There are Trillions of them.

Most of the insects in the world are harmless to us and just go about their business without bothering us, but there are a few which make life difficult. Millions of dollars are spent every year getting rid of ants, termites, cockroaches, flies, weevils, and mosquitoes, to just name a few. We aways try and control outbreaks that are beyond normal. These were called plagues in Biblical times. Back then, they didn’t have sprays and powders, so plagues of grasshoppers would eat every green plant and leaf around. Farmers would be completely helpless to stop the total destruction of their crops.

A wonderful miracle was that God protected Israel against such plagues in ancient times as long as they remained faithful to him. He has similarly protected His faithful people in our day. I have read many times of incidents in which those who have loyally given God His tithes and offerings and have had their crops saved from grasshoppers and hail, for example. So the promise is as good today as it was when Moses wrote: “If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.” Psalm 91:9-10 NLT