A little animal that “plays?”
Strange as that fact might sound, YES INDEED!
Otters, our focus for today, come in 13 species, all created by our Wise God according to Scripture.
They are sea creatures, though some live in freshwater. (That “species” thing!) They are found ranging in size from 2 to 5 feet in length! (Yes, these are adults!) And weighing from 3 pounds all the way up to 75 pounds!
They are thickly covered in fur, two layers in fact. More fur per square inch than any other animal, according to the experts!
And otters love the water! Excellent swimmers!
(That fur is waterproof, by the way.)
Their diet: mostly fish, including crabs and crayfish, lots of shellfish. The latter of which they “break open” using their hard stomachs pressed against rocks on the nearby shore!
They can, when necessary, “walk” on land too! Moving from one lake to another, across a mountain! Such feats have been observed time and time again.
And they train their young! A mother otter may take as much as a year teaching her little one to survive on its own!
Their defense mechanism? Primarily teeth, a deep bite that is said to be ferocious!
But back to my initial thought … “playful otters?”
They certainly enjoy life!
Gregarious little fellows, they play together for hours!
Sliding down wet hills into the water! One after another!
When that activity becomes boring, a “game” of “follow the leader” just might be next!
Then a friendly “wrestling match” or two might complete the afternoon’s recreation!
(King James I of England, the authorizer of the King James Bible, had a collection of live otters. He watched them play for hours! As entertainment, for the King himself!)
But can we draw a spiritual lesson from these amazing examples of God’s creation?
How about this?
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
Let us not be sour, drab, monotonous in all we do!
Smile!
Even laugh!
After all, “The joy of the LORD is our strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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