Consider the following creature of the sea: it has neither heart nor brain, its body has a higher percentage of water than Coca-Cola and it reproduces by ejecting offspring into the unknown. If someone could create such a creature, we would be in awe at this inventor’s ingenuity.
As an aquaculture undergrad, I am constantly in awe of the greatest Creator and Designer—God himself. I find myself worshipping God through the study of the complex sea creatures he has designed. From the fascinating features of the animals and how they interact with their environments, right down to the physical chemistry which helps them function the way they do, I find myself in awe of the Creator.
But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.
~ Job 12:7-10
Indeed, animals teach me much about God. Let me share some awe-inspiring details about the creature of the sea I mentioned above: the jellyfish.
The adult jellyfish we are familiar with are known as medusae. They spawn eggs and sperm, and the fertilised eggs will sink to the seabed. There they grow into polyps.
What does a polyp look like? Imagine a column of stacked discs on a stump. These polyps are another form of the same jellyfish, and they can also reproduce by splitting themselves into two identical organisms (this is a form of cloning called budding). When the discs are mature, the polyp will “shoot” them off into the water! These discs are the jellyfish we are so familiar with. Since jellyfish are 95% water, they quickly grow large through absorption. When they are ready, the cycle continues. I am just amazed at the design of the jellyfish, and even more amazed at the Designer.
Another intriguing animal I have studied is the Portuguese man o’ war. Named after a warship, the Portuguese man o’ war looks like a ship’s sail, floating on the ocean surface being pushed by wind and ocean currents. While often mistaken for a jellyfish, it is actually a colony of different animals (zooids) that cling to each other and work together to live. There are often four to seven different zooids that each have a different function: one to float, some to feed, some to hunt, and others to protect. Not much is known about how they reproduce or group together yet, but without each other, the zooids would not survive.
How can such seemingly fragile creatures have such a complex and interesting way to live and reproduce after their own kind? Studying this complexity and intricacy leads me to marvel at how amazing the Creator-God of the universe is. These two animals are just examples of the many wonders that God has made, and these reflect his creativity, power and goodness. Scripture says in Psalm 19:1-4:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
The majesty of creation is evidence of an even more majestic Creator-God. Even though creation doesn’t speak audibly in words, yet it makes God’s glory known to all. What is my response to this? It is to worship the One who created it all. Hear how the psalmist praised the Lord in Psalm 148:1-5:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
As I carry on studying God’s creation, I pray it continues to lead me to worship the One who made it all. When he created the world and everything in it, he commanded man to name the animals, and through that process mankind would discover the wonderful and different creatures. Even though we are no longer in the perfect Garden of Eden, there is still so much of creation to explore and discover. In Proverbs 25:2 (NLT), King Solomon wrote:
It is God’s privilege to conceal things
and the king’s privilege to discover them.
It is indeed our privilege to play “hide and seek” with God. He has hidden marvellous secrets in his creation for us to discover. When we handle a complex device, we marvel at its intricacy and are impressed by the genius of its inventor. How much more then, when we study the complex design details of the nature, should it lead us to deeper worship of the ultimate Inventor.
Aidan Kwok serves in the Children’s Ministry at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church. He is currently pursuing postgraduate research at James Cook University Singapore. / Photo courtesy of Aidan Kwok