Does anyone ever get excited over the lowly worm? In science class, there were two kinds of people - those who liked worms and those who did not. I was of the second group. This same group could never imagine going fishing; one reason being that the thought of baiting a hook with a squiggly, squirmy worm horrifies us.

The Hebrew word for worm is tola, particularly the grub worm. This little worm secretes a scarlet dye. This grub worms dye was used to make the scarlet dye of the Tabernacle's veil, door hangings, curtains and coverings (Ex.25:4; 26:1,31,36; 27:16). The little grub worm made such a precious offering, that its work adorned the place where God dwelt.

Also, in the Psalm 22 verse, we see Messiah Yeshua's, Jesus', humility. He made Himself no reputation, He took the form of a servant, He was made in the likeness of men, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death of the cross (Phil. 2:5-8). Yeshua Jesus emptied Himself and became a 'worm', even to be scorned, spit upon, beaten, scourged and crucified.

The fact that worms are even mentioned in the Bible shows us that they have a place in God's kingdom. In Scripture, we read of worms as a covering (Isa.14:11), worms as things less than a man (Job 25:6). Worms were powerful, even known for eating and killing Herod (Acts 12:23).

There is a God-appointed worm in Jonah 4:6-7: And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered.

God called His beloved Jacob 'worm': Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you, declares the LORD, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel (Isa 41:14).

Worms will be in eternity, but not in heaven (Mark 9:44,46,48). This is good news.

A little worm fact: A silkworm is a common name given to the caterpillar (worm) of the domestic silk moth. But this is no ordinary worm. It really could be described as a larva. This little larva produces the most luxurious fabric known to man - SILK. It takes 40,000 little silkworm cocoons just to make twelve pounds of raw silk. The little silkworm's diet is lettuce, maybe some foliage from orange trees and mulberry trees, nothing exciting. It never flies and its life span is 56 days.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a dark place, hard-pressed for any type of relief. Perhaps illness, financial troubles, major or minor decisions - all press in on us. We are uncomfortable, our diet is meager, we toil, eat. sleep, toil..... Day in, day out - boring, meager, nothing...

The next time you get low-thinking, try to remember the lowly silkworm. Day in, day out - in that dark place, it works, toils, eats lettuce. Yet its only duty in life is to produce the finest finery - fit for a King.

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Copyright © Barri Cae Mallin.