God's Agriculture and the Stink Bug
Genesis 3:18
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.
The world originally created by God was perfect in every respect. However, among the consequences of sin mentioned in Genesis 3, are the thorns and thistles, which make man's agriculture more difficult. We could certainly classify insect pests in the same category as noxious weeds.
However, God did not leave us without earthly solutions to these problems. Modern agriculture has relied largely on powerful herbicides and insecticides to protect crops from pests. At the same time, God's design of nature has always included more natural, less toxic ways of controlling pests. Modern science is learning how to use the same methods God uses to control insects.
The spined soldier bug, also known as the stink bug, is one of God's natural controllers of insect pests. The stink bug eats over a hundred different kinds of insect pests, including some of the worst such as the cotton bollworm and the gypsy moth. Researchers have found that spraying a crop with natural attractant, produced by the stink bug, serves as a call to dinner. Stink bugs naturally move in and begin devouring harmful pests without damaging the crop. Since the stink bug attractant is a naturally-produced chemical, it does no harm to nature before it breaks down.
Our Creator's solutions to problems are always better than ours. You can learn more about His solutions to your problems, including the problem of sin, in the Bible.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, increase my appreciation for Your solutions for problems in my life so that I yearn more strongly to learn Your Word and apply it to my life. Where I fail, and where, with Your help I succeed, help me remember that I am not saved by my own efforts, but by the forgiveness of my sins through You. Amen.
Notes:
J. A. Miller. 1982. Chemical Mobilizes Soldier Bug. Science News, Dec. 11. P. 373.
