Daily Devotional – October 5

Biology

Whales have enormous bones. If the oceans were billions of years old and these bones did not disappear, the ocean floor would be littered with whale bones. Fortunately, the oceans are not billions of years old, and God planned ahead with an amazing trash recycling system. Deep within the ocean, there exists an amazing creature commonly known as the “Zombie Worm.” It is apparently called this because its job is to eat dead bones. Its scientific name is Osedax mucofloris, whose literal translation is “bone-eating snot flower.” This “bone-eating snot flower” attaches itself to the bones of dead whales and burrows into them, creating a root system. The remainder of its body is exposed outside the bone, covered with mucus, and looks like a flower. The Zombie worm oozes out an acid which transforms the bone material into edible proteins and collagen molecules. Then, parasites living within the Zombie worm’s body eat this food. The parasites provide a by-product, that feeds the worm. The Zombie worm needs the parasites, and the parasites need the Zombie worm!

Aside from the astonishing fact that an acid-producing, bone dissolving, snot-covered worm exists to dispose of whale bones, one has to ask, how did it survive before it found the parasite (or the parasite found it)? Why did it start producing acid to dissolve bones? Unless everything was in place from the beginning, neither the parasite nor the Zombie worm could have survived. Everything needed for survival of these two separate and distinct creatures had to be in place from the very moment of their creation. God, in his wisdom and creativity, produced such wonders for our amazement and appreciation!

The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

~ Psalm 145:15

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

References for this devotional.