A Natural Protection

Scripture References: Psalm 68:19; 2 Corinthians 1:9

A record snow melt in the Colorado Rockies in 1983 triggered disastrous flooding the whole length of the 1,400 mile Colorado River system. A potentially deadly encephalitis threat emerged in the aftermath from mosquitoes hatching in stagnant waters of the flood. Encephalitis attacks the nervous system and is sometimes fatal. To forestall the danger, public health officials spent $24,000 spraying. But it cost far less to establish a first line of defense. Six thousand two-inch mosquito fish, officially known as gambusia affinis, were netted and dumped into stagnant riverside pools. The fish gorged on mosquitoes’ eggs and larvae, eating as much as their own weight in one day. In addition, their own fertility allowed a tenfold growth in a month.

This natural defense against disease, divinely constructed into creation, is but one example of the finely tuned balance in nature. Learning how to manipulate that balance saves lives and money. God builds just such protection to disaster and disappointment into our lives: our ability to grieve, mourn, cry, laugh, forget, and remember. Even the shock first experienced when hearing of a loved one’s death shields us from the onslaught of pain and anguish. This says nothing of our infinite capacity to recover from and overcome even the bitterest circumstances and experiences. We cannot escape adversities anymore than earth can elude disasters, but when they come, within us rises the natural protection against harm the calamities would cause without it.

Courtesy of Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations by Virgil Hurley © 1995 by Word, Incorporated.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.