Daily Devotional – August 26

Geology

A brand new island was “born” off the coast of Iceland in 1963. This new island, named Surtsey, was created by an erupting undersea volcano. Within a few months of its formation, this sterile, volcanic rock island was already being transformed into a “mature” island. Wide sandy beaches, gravel banks, impressive cliffs, gullies, channels, and boulders were all being worn by the relentlessly pounding surf. Had no-one been around to see the island form recently, one might say it looks millions of years old.

Iceland’s chief geologist Sigurdur Thorarinsson, was amazed at how old the island looked only months after its formation. Biologists, too, were surprised; the island was colonized by plants quickly. Birds started having chicks there in 1970 (7 years later) - bringing in seeds with their excrement. Growing plants supported insects, that attracted birds, that in turn brought in more plants, and the cycle continued. There is now a fully functioning ecosystem on Surtsey. What happened on Surtsey provides insight into what happened after the Flood of Noah’s day – the rapid redistribution of plants and animals around the world. Surtsey continues to teach us more, for it is also rapidly eroding - about 2.5 acres a year. Within a few centuries, Surtsey could be gone! Surtsey has been full of surprises - teaching us that mature landscapes can form rapidly, biological diversity can develop quickly, and erosion can transform landscapes swiftly.

The waters wear the stones:

~ Job 14:19a

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

References for this devotional.